


My Best Friend The Werewolf

by TheDarkSeaofSecrets



Category: 3 Below, Tales of Arcadia (Cartoons), Trollhunters - Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Angst, Canon Divergence, Coach is such a good dad!, Creepslayerz, Eli's dad is a douche bag, F/M, His mum is pretty amazing though, Homophobia, House Party, Idiots in Love, M/M, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Sort Of, Strickler is a nice guy, Young Love, hangovers, slight gore
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-23 07:40:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 32
Words: 86,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14930042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkSeaofSecrets/pseuds/TheDarkSeaofSecrets
Summary: While out creepslaying Eli and Steve stumble across something far more dangerous then they've ever come across and when Steve gets wounded deeply and severely. He starts going through changes.Will these changes break apart the precious friendship that they've slowly been building or will it bring them closer together.





	1. Panic Attack Of The Century

**Author's Note:**

> “No, no. His hurt bad. I need help. I need him to stop bleeding. He won’t stop bleeding” Eli says nearing hysteria. He presses Steve’s bloody shirt against his wounds with his other hand but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything.

Eli screamed as the beast they’d been running from snatches Steve up like a ragdoll. 

“Run Eli!” Steve cries out as he struggles to get himself free but Eli didn’t run anymore. 

The thing was monstrous and would surely give Eli nightmares for life as he ran at it, screaming something indistinguishable at the top of his lungs. Only to get batted away like a fly and he lands with a groan on the pavement. The air forced from his lungs. 

“You idiot!” Steve shouts as Eli stands on shaky legs. 

“Let him go!” Eli shouts ignoring his best friend in favour of trying to save his life. 

The thing growls and then Eli’s blood runs cold as it tears giant fangs into Steve’s shoulder. A strangled cry coming from the blond boy, blood staining his now torn shirt.  
  
“Eli run” Steve gets out as the monster drops him and he falls to his knees first before collapsing on the road. 

But Eli was frozen as an icicle as he waited for the beast to attack him next but it only licks the blood off its lips, Steve’s blood and then turns and runs.  
  
Eli finally gets his body working and he falls to his knees beside Steve, hands shaking as he calls the Blondes’ name. 

He pushes Steve over onto his back and tears away his ruined shirt to see the damage but there’s so much blood and Eli’s hands are covered in it. He shakily pulls his phone from his pocket thankful that it’s not cracked and he speed dials Jim. 

“Hey Eli what’s up?” The Trollhunter asks. 

“Steve” Is the first thing he gets out and it’s breathless with fear. 

“Steve, what’s wrong. Did he hurt you? I’m going to kill him” Jim says and Eli shakes his head before he remembers that Jim can’t see him. 

“No, no. His hurt bad. I need help. I need him to stop bleeding. He won’t stop bleeding” Eli says nearing hysteria. He presses Steve’s bloody shirt against his wounds with his other hand but it doesn’t seem to be doing anything. 

“Eli where are you?” Jim asks and Eli hears a door slam open and closed and Jim muttering his amulet’s spell. 

“Uh I don’t know. It’s bad! There’s so much blood” 

“Take a deep breathe and look around for street signs ok,” Jim says and Eli nods again as he forces himself to take a deep breath. He looks up squinting and then he spots it, a sign.  
  
“Near the corner of Juniper and Saint. Please hurry.” 

Eli’s eyes are blurred over now, tears stinging the graze on his cheek but he doesn’t care as he watches a small pool of blood form beneath Steve, staining his hair. 

“Please wake up. Please Steve” He whispers as presses harder not sure if he's doing more damage. 

“Eli you need to stay calm ok. We’re on our way now” Jim says and Eli jumps, he’d completely forgotten that Jim was still on the phone. 

“What if he dies. What do I tell his parents?” 

“He's not going to. Claire is trying to get your location now” Jim says soothingly as possible. 

Suddenly a black hole opens up beside Eli and the Trollhunters step through, Jim’s mother behind them. It seemed they had brought everybody, even Strickler. 

Barbara rushes towards Eli and kneels down beside him, pulling stuff out of a big white bag. 

“Eli you need to move so I can help. Honey come and help!” Barbara says and then Eli is being picked up. 

“No, no I have to stay with him,” He says panicked as Strickler moves into his spot, light flaring to life. 

“I know but you’re not much help at the moment” Jim murmurs in his ear and he slumps against the taller boy. 

“You need to tell us what happened, where’d the thing go,” Claire says getting in Eli’s face.

“I don’t know. Please I don’t know anything” 

“Your panicking and you need to calm down. You’re not much use to Steve if you have a heart attack” Jim says arms still wrapped around Eli’s waist. 

“Should we put him to sleep, it might be easier” Toby suggests and Eli struggles more.

“No, you can’t!” He cries out and he feels Jim move around him and Toby sighs. 

“Bad idea I know” 

“Claire you need to open another portal. We need to get Steve and the trolls out of the light before somebody sees them” Strickler says, Eli really only catching parts of it but suddenly Steve is being picked up by Aaarrrgghh and carried through another portal. 

“NO!” Eli screams to far gone in his panic to think about it rationally. All he knows is that Steve is gone, away from him. 

“Calm down before I knock you out. We’re just going home.” Jim says and then Eli is being thrown through the portal and had he been sane, he would have probably marvelled at it.

He ends up sprawled on the Lake’s kitchen floor and sits up readjusting his glasses, smearing blood onto one of the lenses but that didn’t matter know. Steve was lying unconscious on the kitchen bench and Barbara was pushing a needle through his skin. 

Eli feels his stomach rolling and he has to look away.

“Eli come here,” Claire says softly from beside the sink and he does so, every step shaky and he feels like his legs are about to give out at any moment. 

“Did you get hurt?” Jim asks from his other side as Claire turns on the tap water and drags his hands under it, Steve’s blood dying the water a light pink before disappearing down the drain. 

“No, not bad anyway” He murmurs as Claire starts washing his hands for him like his some kind of child. He lets her go, letting her boyfriend go as well when he pulls Eli’s glasses off and starts cleaning them. His too tired to fight anybody as Claire dries off his hands and Jim's hands him back his glasses. 

Ms Lake catches Eli’s attention then. Strickler holding up Steve as she wipes away most of the blood off the counter. His hair was still red but all the blood on his chest and back was gone, a white bandage in his place. 

“Alright so I don’t think that we’re in any immediate danger, I’ve stitched him up as best as I could and that seems to have quelled the bleeding, well most of it anyway. Now we just have to wait and see. I’ll get him some antibiotics to take so that his wounds won’t get infected and call his mother and yours. Say you're staying over for a school project” Barbara says and Eli nods even as half of it goes over his head. 

“I’ll go get you some extra clothes you can change into,” Jim says patting Eli on the shoulder and while he's gone, Barbara swabs Eli’s cheek and elbow with antiseptic.

It stings but he barely feels it, eyes on Steve’s chest. Watching as he breathes, praying that his chest continues to rise and fall. 

“He’ll be fine” Barbara reassures as Jim appears a bundle of clothing in his hands. 

Eli goes to the bathroom and changes quickly, the pants having to be rolled up a fair way so he doesn’t trip on them. He comes out only to find Steve missing and his heart goes in his throat. 

“His up in the spare room, come on I’ll take you,” Strickler says back in his human form. Eli frowns but nods never the less, somewhat calmer now. 

He follows his old history teacher up the stairs, to an open door. Aaarrrgghh, Blinky, Jim and Barbara all standing outside talking in hushes tones. Well, less Aaarrrgghh but still. 

“So what do you think did it?” Jim asks. 

“Well really it could be anything but once young Master Steven wakes up we’ll ask him what he saw and Elijah as well once he's in a better condition,” Blinky says. 

Eli’s jaw tics at the wrong name for Steve but says nothing as Strickler coughs. 

“Ahh Eli, you can go in. Steve’s still sleeping” Barbara says smiling at him softly and he sidles past her into the spare room. 

Steve was laid on the bed, the sheets pulled up around his waist, his arms out straight by his side. The white bandage stark against Steve’s skin and Eli walks over each footstep gentle. 

There was already a seat in place and he perches on the edge of it gingerly. He reaches out a hand and gently touches Steve’s wrist. His chest rising and falling softly as his eyes move slowly under his eyelids. 

Eli takes his hand slowly, feeling the small callouses from football and creep slaying. Steve’s hand is warm as well, a small comfort as Eli rests his upper half on the bed. 

“Do you want me to set up the couch?” Barbara asks a few minutes later and Eli shakes his head, eyes still on Steve’s chest and face. Just watching him. 

“Alright well if anything changes call out and one of us will hear you,” Barbara says patting his shoulder gently before she leaves the room, the light clicking off behind him as the door shuts. 

Eli falls asleep soon after still clutching to Steve’s hand.


	2. Varulv

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So Werewolves are real, well that's fun.

Eli wakes to somebody poking him in the cheek and saying his name. He bats the hand away as yesterday comes back to him. He bolts up right, his best friend’s name on his lips only to stop when he sees two blurry eyes blink at him in what his sure is surprise. At least he thinks it is. Steve is more of a blob then anything. 

“Jeez who set your pants on fire” Steve rumbles and Eli searches for his now missing glasses. 

He feels them placed into his hand and he smiles as he shoves them onto his face, the world coming into focus 

“How are you feeling? is your shoulder are ok? You really need a shower.” Eli says quickly all in one big rush and Steve laughs. 

“Calm down I can only answer one question at a time” Steve says and he looks surprisingly happy considering the horrible wound on his shoulder. The bandage has a few red spots on it now and Eli almost feels bad about staining Barbara’s sheets red. 

“How are you feeling?” Eli asks first and Steve shrugs only to yelp. 

“Fine but uh this shoulder might be a bit of a problem.” He says still smiling even as pain sparkles a little in his eyes. 

“I’ll go get Ms Lake” Eli says standing and Steve just watches him, like his the most fascinating thing in the world. Eli almost has the desire to ask if Steve hit his head. 

Eli pokes his head out of the door and calls for her. Her bedroom door opens a few seconds later and she appears in a dressing gown. 

“Everything ok Eli?” She asks.

“Steve’s awake” He says simply and she pads along the hallway faster. Knocking on another door as she goes. Jim poking out a groggy head a few seconds later, hair sticking up everywhere. He slips the rest of his body out when he sees Eli. 

Eli enters back into the room and sits on Steve’s bed instead of taking the chair, reserving it for Barbara. Steve smiles at him softly before turning towards the Lakes as they enter the room. 

“How are you feeling Steve?” Barbara asks smiling at him in that doctorly way. 

“Fine thank you Ms Lake” He say cheerily as she comes over. 

“That’s good. Can you try and lift you arm for me?” She continues as she sits down. Jim coming to stand behind her, arms crossed as he watches almost curious, but mostly tired. 

Steve does so, getting it up only a fraction before he shakes his head grimacing. 

“That’s ok it’ll take time but eventually you should be back to normal, though unfortunately I must advise no PE or football. No matter how much Coach whines” Barbara says as she leans over and pokes him gently in the shoulder. 

He yelps again and Jim snorts out a laugh. Steve glares at him. 

“I may be down an arm Lake but doesn’t me I still can’t take you in a fight” He snaps. 

“You wish Palchuk!” Jim retorts. 

“Boys enough.” Barbara chides gently as she pokes another place. 

Eli just watches still slightly sleep but happy and relieved that Steve’s back into his usual mood already. He can’t help but smile. 

As stupid as it was Eli was glad they had to raise a flour baby together. Steve was wonderful now, his supposed ‘Cover’ didn’t last long either and now nobody touched Eli in fear of pissing off Steve. 

Nobody really cared either that the quarterback was friends with the biggest nerd in school. A few of his jock friends had made a few jokes but then the next time Eli saw them they all sported black eyes and Steve was missing a tooth. 

He then had completely blown his cover when he wrapped an arm around Eli’s shoulders and walked him to his next class. Eli hadn’t been able to stop grinning the entire day. 

“What you thinking about buttsnack?” Steve says pulling him from his reverie and he jolts to attention. The Lakes having disappeared somewhere, probably to do more talking in private. 

“Nothing, what else did Ms Lake say?” He asks. 

“Just that I can’t lift anything heavy for like the next month so that means no piggybacks” 

“That was once and it wasn’t my fault!” Eli squeaks out. 

Steve laughs and god, does it sound good. 

“Sure it wasn’t, Jim was gonna call Blinky. Apparently, they want to interrogate us on what we saw” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t help more” Eli says frowning and Steve narrows his eyes. A look that Eli is familiar with. The look that means, you’re over reacting. 

“You have nothing to be sorry for, I’m glad it was me. It would have eaten you whole and I couldn’t have that. I need my Pepperbuddy around” Steve says patting him on the knee with his good arm. 

Eli nods not ready to fight him on it yet. Maybe later. 

The door opens again and Blinky is standing there. He still freaked Eli out sometimes. The arms Eli could deal with but mainly it was the eyes. So many and what was even creepier was when they all blinked on their own if Blinky wanted it that way. 

“Master Elijah, Master Steven. How are you both feeling?” He asks. 

“It’s Steve” The blond boy says stressing the fact there’s no N. 

“We’re fine Blinky” Eli says answering for the both of them, habit by this point mainly. 

Was it odd that they knew each other’s orders at every fast food joint in Arcadia or that if you opened each of their lockers you’d mostly find a mixture of their stuff. Was it odd that they both had keys to each other’s stuff, houses and Vespa included. Not that Eli could really drive it properly yet but in a pinch, it was there. 

Eli pushes his thoughts aside as Jim comes back into the room, Claire behind him. It must be so easy when you can portal everywhere. 

She waves at them as Blinky sits in the chair, his stubby legs coming off the floor completely. 

“So young Masters, tell us what you last remember” He says getting straight down to business. 

Steve looks to Eli and he sighs as he starts recounting the tale. 

“And then that’s when you got there” He finishes and Steve nods along, blond hair still dyed pink. He would really need a shower other wise the Coach and Lyn might ask a few questions. 

“Can you describe this beast for us Eli?” Claire asks sitting on the bed. 

“It was big, almost big enough to grab Steve in a single hand and furry. It was like something out of a horror movie and as stupid as it sounds, it reminded me a werewolf” 

“Hmm interesting, if there is truly a Varulv running around this could spell trouble for troll and man alike.” Blinky murmurs, hands crossing over each other as he thinks, one hand coming to tap at his chin. 

“I’m sorry a what?” Jim asks just as confused as Eli and Steve. 

“Varulv, it’s Norwegian for Werewolf but I didn’t think they were real” Claire says also deep in thought. 

“Oh they are indeed very real and very dangerous. Blood thirsty creatures. Everyday of the month they are completely normal until the full moon hits and then there is no stopping a Varulv on the hunt.” 

“What would it have been hunting?” Eli asks. 

“Humans most likely, Varulv’s have a great appetite but human seems to fill them well. Though by morning that blood thirsty Varulv will become once more a very confused human who has no idea what has just transpired” Blinky explains. 

“So they remember nothing, how would we find out who it was if they don’t remember anything?” Claire asks. 

“There are signs that even the human portrays and that Steve may soon experience himself.”

“Wait you mean his turning into that monster” Eli cries, panic lacing once more up his throat. Steve couldn’t be turning into one of those things, Eli wouldn’t allow it. 

“Maybe but we have no idea until it happens. Claire you know of the symptoms?” Blinky asks turning to her and she nods. 

“A very high in iron diet including raw steak and other red meats. The heightening of senses, such as sight, smell and touch. Rapid mood swings and aggressiveness towards those you normally care for” Claire says like she’s reciting from a book, she probably was. 

“So what I’m gonna want to hunt down a cow and eat it raw?” Steve asks, pulling a face that means he doesn’t quite believe what their saying. But Eli can see the panic in his eyes, hidden behind a layer of sarcasm and irritation. 

“No normal pre-cut steak should suffice, anything bloody mainly” Blinky says slightly distracted. 

“Great because that’s easily explained” Steve grumbles and Eli bites his lip. 

“We’ll figure something out” He says softly and Steve turns to him, eyes searching Eli’s face before he nods, a smile gracing his face. 

“Of course we will, I have you on my side” Steve says and Eli gives a small bashful smile in return. 

Everytime Steve says something like that it makes Eli’s chest tingle and warm and latterly his been saying it a lot. It makes Eli really happy. 

“So what next month I’m gonna go all agro and try to kill you all?” Steve asks looking back to the others. 

“Potentially” Blinky says like he just told them that Eli’s shirt is green. Eli feels like his far to calm for a situation like this. 

“Is there anyway for a cure or anything?” Eli asks. He wasn’t sure if he could handle his best friend turning into a monster. He wasn’t sure if Steve would be able to handle it. 

“I am unsure but when I get back to Trollmarket I shall look up everything I can on the Varulv and in the meantime, Master Jim, Toby and Claire will be looking for the Varulv who bit you. See if we can stop it from happening again” Blinky says standing, floor boards shaking a little under his weight. 

“Thanks for all your help” Eli says even if it doesn’t quite feel like he has, more just made things worse. Blinky smiles at him, at least Eli thinks he does. His not sure. 

“I am glad to always be of assistance though now Master Elijah I would like you to keep an eye on Steve for me. Tell Master Jim if he starts showing any of the symptoms that Claire just listed” The troll says and Eli nods. 

They all leave the room after that, Jim and Claire whispering among themselves but Jim stops at the door and turns back to them. 

“I’ll bring you guys some food up, you must be hungry” He says before disappearing from sight. 

Eli turns his body fully towards Steve, picking at the blankets unsure what to say. 

“So uh I might be a werewolf huh?” Steve says awkwardly and Eli nods as he adjusts his glasses again. Maybe he should think about getting contacts. 

“Pepperbuddy are you ok?” Steve asks quietly leaning forwards and examining his face again. 

“Yeah I’m fine” 

Steve frowns and Eli squeaks as his being dragged into an one-armed hug. He wraps his arms around Steve’s waist as he presses his face into the bigger boys neck as it all sets it. 

“I thought you were going to die Steve” He whispers tears blurring his eyes, so he jams them shut. 

“You know I’d never leave you behind” Steve murmurs and Eli nods as he just continues to hold his best friend. 

“But what if you had, what would I have told coach, What would I have told Lyn?” Eli asks. 

“You won’t ever have to tell them, I promise.” Steve says voice soft in the way that only Eli gets to here. Steve is vulnerable and open.

“Maybe we should stop before one of us ends up dead. We don’t have weapons like Jim and Claire. We don’t have training like them either” He says pulling back and Steve frowns again. 

“We’ll ask Blinky to train us and hey if this werewolf things works out in our favour, I might not need weapons” Steve says frown slowly turning towards a smile. Thought it’s mostly Eli’s sake, the smaller boy can tell. 

Eli nods again, wiping his eyes as he moves back a bit further away so he can see a majority of Steve. 

“I’m sorry, it’s stupid I know” He mumbles. Steve shakes his head. 

“It’s not, I get where you coming from. I fear what I would have to tell your mum if anything bad happened to you. She’d kill me for accidently knocking you over, I actually thought she was planning on it the first time we officially met. She was holding a knife and everything” Steve says making light of a serious situation and Eli gives a wet laugh. 

“She was making dinner of course she was holding a knife.” 

“Yes a butcher’s knife, who uses a butcher’s knife on carrots!” Steve says going to move both his hands in the air only to yelp again. His good hand coming to grip at his shoulder.

“Do you want me to call Ms Lake?” Eli asks concerned and Steve shakes his head even as his eyes water a little. 

“I just gotta remember not to move my arm” Steve says with a one-armed shrug. 

Jim enters the room again two plates of food piled in his arms and comes over to the bed. Eli takes his and immediately digging in, no one to squander the wonders of Jim’s cooking. 

“I didn’t poison it Palchuk” Jim mutters, a vaguely annoyed expression on his face. 

Eli looks up to see Steve only toying with his food and then it hits him. Steve can’t hold the plate up and eat at the same time and he wasn’t about to do something stupid and ask for help with his ‘arch enemy’ in the room. 

“It’s fine Jim, he’ll eat soon enough.” Eli says reassuringly and the Trollhunters narrows his eyes for a second before nodding and disappearing out the door once more. 

“Do you need help?” Eli asks. 

Steve only nods not really looking at Eli but Eli just smiles. 

“So you want me to hold the plate or feed you?” He says kinda sheepish. 

“Whatever floats your boat Peps” Steve says and so Steve holds the plate with his good hand while Eli feeds him. 

It’s awkward to say the least but Eli is just thankful that Steve doesn’t make any stupid comments. His probably frustrated and just as awkward as Eli so the smaller boy doesn’t think on it too much. 

Barbara appears soon after they finish and she smiles at them both. 

“I thought I’d show you how to treat the wounds, though most likely for the first few days Eli will have to do it” She says shaking a small bottle of antiseptic at them. 

Eli watches raptly even if his stomach churns a little. It was like something out of a horror movie, Eli almost expected it to be a one of those prosthetics. Some of the wounds where simply round, deep holes almost like bullet wounds. At least what Eli imagined them to look like anyway. Others were long deep gashes where the monster’s fangs had pulled at Steve’s skin. 

Steve grimaces, his hands curled so tightly into fists that Eli wouldn’t be surprised if he had crescent wounds in his palms. 

“Don’t touch the stitching, it should come out on its own but if it doesn’t seem to be. Then get me to check it out.” She says as she bandages Steve up again. 

Eli nods. 

“And no strenuous activity or you could cause serious damage to your arm and there goes your football career” She says seriously. Steve nods this time. 

“I promise Ms Lake. Thank you for all your help” He says smiling at her. 

After that she drops them off home with a bottle of antiseptic and a bundle of bandages. Steve trails behind Eli as he unlocks his front door. Glad for once his mum was at work. 

“You don’t mind if I have a shower here, uh Mum might ask why my hair is covered in blood” Steve asks and Eli nods with a small yawn. 

While Steve showers, Eli looks up werewolf myths. Most of them sound stupid but a few seem to have deep roots in history and Eli bookmarks the pages accordingly. 

He hears the shower shut off and then a curse but finally Steve appears back in just his pants, hair damp and clean again. The blond locks make Eli sigh a breath of relief. He has to help Steve and puts the bandages back into place, trying very hard to not glance down further. 

“So what’d you find out?” Steve asks as he sits on Eli’s bed. 

“What makes you think I was looking up anything?” He says with a small smile as he turns on his swivel chair. 

“This is you were talking about” 

“Alright fine, a few things actually. There’s a wolf myth that involves trolls from Norway. Apparently some guy forget his prayers or something and a troll turned him into a wolf just because it could. Then like a year passed and his wife has a old hag stay over and the old hag tells her, that her husbands a wolf. 

So like the lady just thinks the hag is crazy and resumes her normal chores and after going to put some meat in the ‘pantry’, she exits only to see a hungry wolf. So she basically says. If you were my husband Lasse, at least I think that was his name. ‘If you were Lasse I would give you some meat’ And then he turns back into a human and that’s were the legend ends.” 

“So what if I go wolfy just feed me some meat?” Steve says, scratching the side of his face in thought. 

“No I don’t think that was the point, there’s another myth were if a werewolves loved one says their name they transform back into a human. It’s got something do with connecting to the human part and bringing it back to the surface. But it has to be a loved one or the connections not strong enough” Eli explains with a small shrug. 

He wasn’t even sure if it would work but if it did then that would potentially mean bringing in Lyn and Eli was definitely sure, she was not ready for knowing that monsters are real. She had enough trouble with Eli and that was only because he was gay. Monsters were a whole other ball park. 

“We’ll figure out something, I’m sure there’s some potion or something that can stave off the affects and even then as Blinky said. There’s only a chance of you becoming one” 

“ELI ARE YOU HOME?” His mother suddenly shouts and he nearly jumps out of his skin, still on edge. 

“I think you still have a spare shirt around here somewhere” He says quickly to Steve and the jock immediately stands and goes over to Eli’s drawer. Rifling through it. 

“Up here mum!” Eli calls poking his head out of his room. 

“Uh I might need a little help?” Steve says and Eli had never been so happy to see a button up shirt. It took a few seconds to figure out and Steve nearly hits him out of reflex when he accidently knocks the blonde’s shoulder. 

“Sorry” He mumbles as he starts doing up the buttons hastily, his mothers footsteps on the stairs. 

He all but dives into his chair not sure why his freaking out so much. He puts it down to the fact that Steve has a bandage across his torso and his mother would so ask questions he wasn’t prepared to answer. 

His door opens a few seconds later. 

“Oh hey Steve” His mother says and Steve gives her a small wave. 

“Hey Ms Pepperjack, I was just actually getting ready to leave.” He says rocking back and forth on his heels. 

“No you should stay for tea, we’re having satay chicken” His mum says with a small grin. 

Eli knew she was trying to be friendly even if she didn’t trust the ex bully. They had, had many fights about it over the past few months. It was the only thing Eli had ever fought her on. 

Steve looks at Eli pointedly. Both a see she’s trying to get me to stay to murder me and a is that ok look. 

Eli twitches his shoulders in a shrug. 

“That would be really nice Ms Pepperjack. Thank you” He says with a small smile. 

“Call me April, how many times must I tell you” 

“Yes Ms April” 

“Not quite what I meant but better.” She murmurs before leaving the room again, closing the door behind her and Eli gives a small giggle. 

“Ms April, you suck up” He says and Steve just wiggles his eyebrows. 

“Not my fault your mums hot” 

Eli mentally gags. 

“Disgusting” He mutters turning on his chair and facing his computer once more. 

“You love me” Steve rumbles coming behind him and looking over his shoulder. “Well that’s horrifying” 

Eli glances as the image on the page he’d been reading. He could see where Steve was coming from. It was a man half way through transforming. His bones could be seen under his skin, misshapen and his face looked to be in so much agony. His jaw looks almost dislocated. His back was bowed in a very wrong angle and fur seemed to be appearing in random places. 

“I’m sure it won’t be that bad.” Eli says even as he gulps a little. 

They spend the rest of the afternoon just relaxing after that, trying to get their mind off everything that happened. They end up playing video games for most of it, Eli’s mum suppling them with popcorn and drinks. 

“Thanks Mum!” Eli says as he sends Steve’s character flying across the screen. 

“Foul. I call foul!” Steve grumbles as he jams his buttons harder, trying his best not to move his left arm. 

“You always call foul, your just crap” Eli says as he finishes Steve off.

“Language Elijah!” His mum calls from down the hall and he flinches, Steve just chuckles. 

Soon enough she’s calling them down for dinner, It’s almost torture. 

“So how was your project?” His mum asks with in five seconds of him sitting down. 

“Oh uh it was more of a study group for the big history test coming up, we hadn’t realised the time and then Jim’s mum said she would call, since it was so late” Eli says, hating how he lies so smoothly to her now but if it keeps her safe and him not locked in a loony bin. 

Steve just nods along as he eats with one hand. Thank god it wasn’t a meal that you had to cut. 

After that Eli’s mum prods and pokes about the project and thankfully Eli had already done everything for it so it was easy enough to speak about. 

“Your quiet dear, are you ok?” She finally asks turning her attention to Steve and he gives another one sided shrug. 

“I’m fine thank you Ms Pep…April. Just had a long night was all. The food is amazing” Steve says giving her a small smile. It doesn’t quite reach his eyes though and Eli frowns. 

He catches Steve’s attention, glancing towards his shoulder. 

You fine?

Steve gives the tiniest nod and Eli relaxes a little. 

Tea after that is quiet, Steve ‘helping’ him clean the dishes. Mainly just handing the plates to Eli but he counts it. 

“Will you be fine tonight?” He murmurs as he dries off the last plate. 

“Of course I will but if I get a hankering for the neighbours cat, I’ll call. I promise” Steve says and Eli nods giving a small smile, thankful that at least Steve has grown some form of brains and doesn’t try to out ‘man’ everything now days. 

After they wash the dishes, Eli walks Steve to the door. 

“Are you sure?” He asks and Steve looks annoyed now. 

“Yes you dork, I’ll be fine. I’m sure I can handle walking across the street by myself” 

“I just….uh nevermind. Talk tomorrow” Eli says softly and he closes the door to the slowly retreating figure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very Dialougy and twice as long as the first chapter but oh well.  
> Non-beta'd


	3. Eli really just wants a break.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nap would also be nice.

Eli yawns as he stretches. The thought of school made him more exhausted.

“Elijah are you up yet. Steve is already waiting outside!” His mum calls and Eli scoops up his glasses quickly, shoving them into place as he looks at his alarm clock. He thought it was earlier then it was. 

Oh crap. He was gonna be late. He scrambles out of bed and starts pulling on somewhat fresh clothes, right now it really didn’t matter. His perfect record on the other hand. 

“I’m on my way!” He shouts as he stuffs his school work into his bag, a single sock on his foot.

He can’t believe he slept in. Eli never sleeps in, his always up at his alarm but the weekend must have finally caught up to him. He almost wouldn’t be surprised if he had a few white hairs sprouting. 

As soon as he has everything, his racing out of his bedroom door. Nearly running into his mother in the process. 

“Sorry” He says as he pulls on his last shoe, bag slung haphazardly over his back. 

Eli misses the last few steps and nearly eats his heart as he stumbles at the bottom, a well-placed Steve catching him before he can hit the floor. 

“Jeez Eli, are you ok?” Steve asks, laughing a bit as he sets him properly on his feet. 

“Yeah fine, now come on!” He says snagging the others shirt and pulling him the front door. 

Eli freezes though when he spots the vespa though, turning to look at Steve’s shoulder. 

“You shouldn’t be driving. What about your shoulder?” He asks. 

“Either I drive or you lose your record?” Steve says easily and Eli frowns as his eyes narrow. 

“Fine but if you kill us!” He says throwing a finger in Steve’s face before turning back to the bike and saying silent prayers. 

The trip is a little bumpier then usual and Eli clutches to Steve’s waist a little bit harder but mostly they make it in one piece as they both run for Spanish, slamming into the room. The other’s look at them both, trying not to laugh. 

Eli sliding to such a hard stop that Steve’s grabbing his shirt to stop him from landing on his ass. 

“Palchuk and Pepperjack, perfect timing. Sit now!” Senor Uhl snaps and they both dash for their seats. The bell ringing as Eli starts pulling things form his bag. 

He looks over to see Steve struggling a bit but when he goes to help Steve glares at him. 

“I can write, it’ll just take a while” Steve says quietly. 

“No talking!” Senor Uhl snaps from the front and Eli gulps. 

The day after that isn’t too bad even though Coach grumbles about Steve not going to practise but the accepts the note from Barbara with a disgruntled sigh. 

It only when Eli and Steve are headed for their lockers after school finishes does anything happen. 

Some idiot decides that it’s a wonderful idea to run into Steve’s bad shoulder. 

“Watch were you’re going!” Steve growls as he struggles to not let the pain show. 

Eli has a really bad feeling as the other guy sneers. He was familiar, Eli had seen him around in a few of their classes. 

Henry or was it Harry….all he knew was it started with a H and he was a trouble maker. The sneer on his face portrayed Eli’s need for worry well. He was almost amused as he glanced at Steve. A look of superiority resting in the curves of his mouth. 

“I’m so sorry your highness, forgive me” He says sarcasm dripping from each of his words as he bows low and mocking. 

Steve tenses, muscles near bulging against his shirt as he looks close to punching the idiot.  
“Steve don’t” Eli says softly. He didn’t need his best friend screwing up his shoulder anymore then it was. 

Steve relaxes with a sigh and he turns away but apparently Har..Henry…What ever his name is, is looking for a fight. 

“Yeah that’s right listen to the little faggot. What is the big, mighty….” He doesn’t get to finish that sentence. Steve sending him into the lockers so hard that he immediately slumps to the floor out of shock. 

“What the fuck did you just say!” Steve snarls as he falls onto the other guy and Eli feels panic creep up his throat. 

“Steve stop!” He says loudly but Steve is on a rampage as he tries to punch the kid anywhere he can. Henry dishing it out just as harshly. 

Eli cringes as Steve gets a fist to his stomach but that doesn’t deter the idiot. If anything, it just makes him madder. 

Eli is in full panic mode trying his best to get Steve to stop without actually getting in the middle of the pair. He’d made that mistake only once and it resulted in Eli getting a blood nose that wouldn’t stop for the next hour and a half. It also involved a very, very mopey Steve and that alone was enough torture. 

“Someone get the Coach!” A voice screams and Eli thinks it’s Shannon. His not to sure though, his mainly focused on the pair still tousling on the floor. Steve was currently winning…maybe. 

Fights really just confused Eli and scared him. Beast and creepers were easy but people. Eli flinches when Steve gets a hit to the cheek but he powers through it barely even flinching himself. Eli already knows it’ll be complained about later. 

That’s when he sees spots of blood bleeding through Steve’s shirt and he knows that the stiches are torn as both boys breathe harder and their hits get further apart from each other. 

“PALCHUK, JENKINS!” A voice bellows and what crowd was there suddenly vanishes not wanting to get in trouble. Coach makes his way over to the pair who had momentarily stopped fighting. 

They start up again though, Steve sending a rather painful punch to Harry’s sternum cause the other boy to curl into a fetal position as he struggles to breathe. 

“STEVE!” The Coach and Eli both cry out but Steve looks keen on turning Harry’s face to mush.

“Call Eli anything but his own name again and you won’t have a fucking head” Steve snarls but then his being picked up around the waist by the coach. 

Steve struggles though and Coach Lawrence is starting to look really pissed off. Eli feels lost in what to do. 

“STOP…Steve stop…I’m so telling your mother!” Coach snaps and finally exhausted and sore Steve slumps in his step-dad’s arms as Harry finally pushes himself to his feet, arms wrapped around his ribs. 

But no matter how tired they look, they still look raring to go until someone gets knocked out. Once Coach is sure though that won’t happen he lets go of Steve. The blond moves immediately over to stand in front of Eli. 

“All three of you principal’s office now!” Coach barks and Eli immediately grips onto Steve’s sleeve to try and pull him along. 

“That’s not fair! Eli didn’t even do anything it was….” 

“Enough. I know he didn’t. His there to tell the real story. Now go before I forcibly drag you to Strickler’s door” Coach says and Eli tugs harder as Steve’s shirt. 

This time the blond stumbles after him and the walk to the principal’s office is sort of slow as Harry limps along. Eli knocks on Principal Strickler’s door feeling sheepish because while he didn’t hit anybody, he was part of the reason the fight started. 

“Come in boys” Strickler says and they all enter cautiously. Coach must have sent a message ahead or maybe it was a changeling thing. 

They all slump into seats. Steve in the middle. Strickler watches them silently, fiddling with his pen. 

“Explain” He finally says and the other two boys burst out in loud explanations, trying to talk over the other. 

“Enough…Mr Pepperjack the real story if you please” Stricker says turning to him and the boys both turn to stare at him. 

Eli sinks into his chair a little but recounts the tale easily enough until he gets to the slur. Normally it never bothered him, he’d been called way worse but the way that Steve had snapped. Over something someone had called him. That was the terrifying part. 

“Harry called me a … uh” He feels stupid for not even being able to say it. 

“He called Eli a faggot. Who does that!” Steve blurts out, fire in his eyes. 

Harry looks like he wants to push everybody in this room off a cliff. Eli very much feels like jumping off a cliff on purpose. 

“Mr Jenkins that alone is worth a two-week suspension. Two weeks for the fight, the suspension for the slur and you Mr Palchuk will serve two weeks detention” Strickler says glancing at each boy in turn. 

Eli sees Steve relax a little as Harry explodes forwards in his seat, arm raised above his head. 

“Why does he only get a detention, he hit me first!” 

“Because Mr Jenkins you caused the fight by insulting a fellow student, I’d rather claim that Mr Palchuk was just defending himself and his friend from a bully” 

“Yeah whatever, suspensions not that bad anyway” Harry says somewhat smug.

“Oh you seem to have misunderstood, the suspension will be an in school suspension…meaning you come in and still do school work, just away from everybody else. I don’t believe in out of school suspensions, students achieve nothing that way.” Mr Strickler explains a small grin of his own sitting on his face. 

Eli is almost certain he saw the man’s eyes flash. 

“Yeah and whose gonna watch me all day, you gonna pay someone overtime with money you don’t have” Harry grumbles, a hint of victory in his voice. 

“If your so concerned Mr Jenkins, I will gladly make sure you serve your punishment” The grin slides of Harry’s face. “Now all of you out and so help me if you again, I will make it an expulsion. For the both of you!” Strickler says looking very pointedly between the two bigger boys. 

Eli is glad to have been mainly left out of this conversation. They get kicked from the room after that and Harry slumps against one of the lockers, rubbing his side gently. 

“Do uh you need help with anything?” Eli asks just because his that type of person. He’d help the person who stabbed him in the back if it meant making peace. 

“Fuck off queer. Don’t even talk to me” Harry snarls and pushes himself off the lockers, walking away quickly. 

Eli frowns as he stares after him. 

“Ignore him his just jealous that you’re not scared to be yourself” Steve murmurs wrapping an arm around Eli’s shoulder. 

Eli nods as his dragged back to their lockers but before they can get far Strickler pokes his head out the door. 

“Steve I would advise you to get that shoulder checked out. Barbara should be home by now, I believe she had the early shift today” He says casually. 

Eli can already feel Steve start to protest. 

“I’ll make sure he gets it done, even if I have to drag him there myself” Eli says cheerily. 

Once they get to their lockers Steve grumbles to him. 

“I don’t want to go to Lake’s house, I’m fine. It doesn’t even hurt” He whines but a glare from Eli has him sighing. “Fine, whatever makes you happy”

Eli gives him a smile. 

It’s a quick journey to Jim’s house, Steve still pouting as Eli knocks on the door. It opens a few seconds later to a very peeved looking Barbara. 

“Fighting Steve really?” She says with a raised eyebrow and Steve gives a sheepish smile.

“Sorry Ms Lake.” 

She brings them both inside and sits Steve at the table. Eli just stares at his hands, stomach unable to handle watching his best friend being stitched up again. 

“May I ask what the fight was about?” Barbara asks in that way that means it’s not really a question. 

“Some idiot called Eli something he shouldn’t, I snapped. Simple” Steve says with a one-sided shrug.

“Hmm well while I don’t like it. I’m glad your defending your friends. Just not more fighting or I’ll let you bleed out” 

“How’d you know?” Eli asks. 

“Walt called me, told me to expect you and then gave me orders to hunt you down if you didn’t show” She says as she starts rebandaging Steve’s shoulder again. 

It’s takes a few minutes to get out of the house after that but finally Eli is once more clinging to Steve’s waist as they ride home. Eli decides to hang at Steve’s for a while, even if it means enduring Lyn’s eye twitches and slightly snide comments. 

She was lovely, truly and every time Eli looked at her, he saw Steve. Blonde hair and brown eyes, she even had the slight freckles on her face. At least Eli supposed that Steve didn’t have to see his dad every time he looked in the mirror. 

The only problem Eli had with Lyn was her slight homophobia. She at least tried to push past it and give Eli a chance but he never missed the way she looked at him weirdly. Like she couldn’t figure out why he’d do such a thing. 

Coach was the most accepting person of the pair, though at some point Eli had become very certain that Coach Lawrence had once been a lovely French Bulldog in a past life. So really, it evened out. 

“Ahh where are you boys going?” Lyn asks when they both stand from the afternoon snack she’d made them. 

“My room to play video games” Steve says with a shrug. 

“Leave the door open” 

“Geez mum you treat Eli as if his my girlfriend” Steve says with a roll of the eyes. 

Eli prefers not to say anything as Steve drags him towards his room, making a point to slam his door as loud as possible. 

“Do you have to try and piss her off?” Eli asks flopping on the blonds bed as Steve grins at him. 

“It’s my mission in life, now pick a game that your bad at” Steve jumps on the bed as he says this and nearly sends Eli flying. 

They spend the next few hours just staring at a screen full of gore and zombies, taking it in turns to sabotage the other. Steve being a dick and standing on his tiptoes on the bed, holding Eli’s controller above his head. 

“I will use rule three” Eli says scowling and Steve laughs. 

“You wouldn’t dare, I’d end up talking like you” 

Eli leaps at the blonde for the comment alone, sending him crashing to the bed with a grunt. 

“You deserve this” Eli hisses as drags his fingers down Steve’s waist. 

“No you horrible person. What happened to the code!” Steve says voice rising to a shout and Eli tickles him. Steve struggles to push him away but his still trying to keep the controller away from Eli so his down to his bad arm. 

Eli reaches up past his head and scrambles to reach for the controller, one hand still torturing his friend. 

“What is going on in here” A voice suddenly says and they both freeze. Eli can see the faint freckles on Steve’s face from here. 

Fucking Lyn. Suddenly Eli is being pushed off the bigger boy, the controller being thrown at him as they both sit up quickly. 

“Nothing mom, just uh got a little out of hand” Steve says sheepishly, a red hue come to a his face. 

“I’ll say, Eli I think it might be best if you go home” Lyn says and he nods sliding off the bed. 

Steve goes to stand with him but a glare from his mother has him sitting back down. Eli 

“Catch you tomorrow” Eli mutters not even looking at Steve. 

It hadn’t been weird until Lyn had intervened. 

“Yeah, see you Peps” Steve says not quite looking at him. 

Lyn makes sure to stay a few steps behind Eli as he walks back through the house, Coach giving him a small smile meaning “sorry kid, I wish I could do something” 

Eli just gives him a smile in return as he slings his bag over his back. Lyn holds the door open for him and he gives her the same smile. A polite one, only for the grin to slide off his face when she closes the door, both of them on the outside of it. 

“Look Elijah while it’s great you two are such great friends. I just wor…” 

“You just worry I’m gonna turn your son gay. Look Ms Palchuk, it’s not just something you become and I can tell you for certain he likes girls“ Eli says cutting her off, she looks offended but also slightly relieved. 

“That’s good I guess but just tone it down a bit” She says and Eli almost laughs. 

What did she think he did normally, wear the pride flag as a cape? Though that would be pretty cool, especially on his Zip Slips. 

“Yeah I’ll make sure to do that. Sorry for the trouble” He says holding on tightly to the straps of his bag. 

He walks away before she can truly piss him off and he says something he regrets, something that get’s Steve banned from hanging out with him. 

Look Eli wasn’t stupid, he knew a crush when he felt one. First it had been Jim and then it was Steve. He could pinpoint the exact moment too. It was when Steve had dropped him home, when he had promised not to say anything about Eli’s horrible middle name. 

He was also smart enough to never do anything if he wanted to keep being friends with Steve. Sure Steve was ok with him being gay but that was mostly cause he thought that Eli’s crush was some rando. 

It was just safer that way, for everybody involved but mainly for Eli’s heart. He couldn’t take rejection, or Steve just out right refusing to speak to him. 

He shakes his head with a sigh as he enters his house. His mum was working late anyway so it was just him. So Eli heats himself up some leftovers and grabs one of the “forbidden” energy drinks out of the back of the fridge and heads up stairs. 

His just about to eat when his phone rings. 

“Hey Jim” Eli says as soon as he answers. 

“Hey Eli, Just wanted to check in. See how you and Steve are doing. We didn’t get to talk much today” Jim says slightly breathless. 

“Did you just finish training?” 

“Yeah and I swear Draal is still out to kill me. No matter what he says” Jim says with a small chuckle in his voice. Had it been six months earlier, Eli might have actually swooned but alas. 

“Hmm…so you found out anything else about the Varulv?” He asks with a mouthful of meatloaf. 

“A little but apparently one has been sighted since before Blinky was …uh existed. Do you think trolls are born or made?....not the point. But no it’s all really old stuff, all in Norwegian so Claire was super psyched.” Jim says. 

Eli gives a small laugh when he hears Jim practically melt at saying Claire’s name.

“I think their made..” Eli says pondering before he explains the old Norwegian myth he found on the werewolf. 

“Just one…why does this have to be so hard.” Jim whines and Eli shrugs as he pulls out his journal. 

The journal of the extraordinary and the ordinary. Day to day thoughts mixed in with Trollish and what ever else they’d come across. Sketches filling the pages as he flips too a fresh one. 

He scrawls Varulv at the top, and start filling in everything they know on the Creeper. Which isn’t much and Eli makes a list of symptoms in the corner of the page. Small boxes beside them, Eli hopes they’d never have to be ticked. 

He also draws a small calendar at the bottom of the page, crossing off the first two. Only twenty eight more to go until the next full moon. Eli even colours in a small moon on day thirty. 

“Eli..ELIJAH!” A voice says snapping him from his thoughts and gives a small, nervous laugh as he realises that he completely forgot Jim was on the phone. 

“Sorry spaced” He murmurs sheepishly and he can almost hear the eye roll from the other end. 

“I was asking what caused the fight at school today. That’s not like Steve, at least not since you’ve been friends” 

“Us being friends was the problem. Some guy called me something he shouldn’t have and Steve just snapped” Eli says not really wanting to elaborate all that much or even talk about it again. 

“You think that could have anything to do with the Varulv?” Jim asks, there’s caution in his voice.

“No idea, but I think it was just the normal Steve being a normal idiot” 

Eli didn’t quite believe his own words though. There had been something off or maybe Eli had just been panicking to much. All he knew was that Steve was terrifying when he snapped and that Harry was going to be very sore. 

He wonders if the Harry would even come in tomorrow or try to skip school all together. He also wonders how bruised Harry’s face was going to be…how bruised Steve’s face was already when he’d left. 

Eli looks down then, or at least focuses on what his doing. He’d been doodling again, on the empty page beside the Varulv. A picture of Steve leaning against his Vespa in his letterman jacket. Mostly it was just a few rough lines but Eli liked it enough that he wanted to finish it. 

“I’ll talk to you more about it tomorrow” He says absentmindedly.

He only half hears Jim’s goodbye as he focuses on filling the detail on the sketch. The creases in Steve’s pants and the shine in his hair. 

Eli doesn’t make it to bed that night, instead falling asleep. The paper of his journal sticking to his cheek as his pencil rolls from his hand and hits the floor with a small clatter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All characters belong to Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro.  
> Non-beta'd


	4. Mailman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve seems to get antsy as well, like his wants out of his own skin. Eli just puts it down the fact finals are coming up soon and its just stress. He doesn’t want to think about it being the other possibility. Not yet. Not until he has definitive proof. Not until Steve tries to eat the mailman.

Eli is ripped from sleep by the sound of an engine roaring to life. He sits straight as a ruler, journal peeling from his face and hitting the table with a thump. 

He groans as he rubs his eyes reaching for his glasses. They must have fallen off in his sleep. Eli stumbles to the window to look out and see Steve’s legs sticking out from his hunk of junk car. 

The car had been a gift from Coach last year. A father-son building project before Steve went to college. Something for them to bond over. The car would be nice when it was finished. When Steve wasn’t out creepslaying or at football practice. He was working on the car. 

Eli would normally take roost nearby and sketch or work on theories. He’d help where he could but mostly the Coach and Steve advised him to stay away. Safer for the car and him that way but mainly for the car. 

Eli gets dressed quickly and grabs his stuff before heading downstairs. His mother is sitting at the dining table, her notes on the case she was working spread across the entire surface. She was still wearing her bed robe as she rubs her eyes tiredly. Eli wonders if she even slept. She forgets sometimes when she’s working on a big case. 

“Does that friend of yours really have to work on his car this early in the morning?” She asks as Eli reaches for the Captain Crunch. Eli can’t think of a smart answer as he makes himself a small spot on the table. 

“How’s your murder case going?” He asks glancing at a few of her notes. 

“Well, we’re still trying to find something that can be unequivocal proof that he did it but I think I’m getting close to something…how about you, did you get any sleep last night sweetie?” 

Eli goes to answer but a loud banging and an even louder cursing fills the air. 

“Didn’t that boy injure himself, why on earth is he working on that blasted car?” His mother grumbles glaring out their front window. 

Eli had discovered early on that his mother almost refused to say Steve’s name, still angry at him for all the locker incidents. And the bin incidents…basically everything before Steve and Eli became friends really. 

“That’s Steve for you” Eli grumbles before stuffing his mouth full of cereal. 

Steve was stubborn enough to run a race on broken legs. 

Eli makes his way across the street once he's done and said goodbye to his mother. 

“Hey Eli” Coach says appearing from under the hood, black stains up to his elbows as he grins. 

“Coach,” Eli says with a yawn as he kicks Steve in the side of the leg gently, catching the jock’s attention. 

He gets an eyeful of a grinning Steve a few seconds later and the loud wake-up call is worth it once he sees how happy Steve is. 

“Did you hear her start-up. I think that’s the longest she’s run yet” He says. He reminds Eli of a Golden Retriever sometimes. 

“I think the aliens on Jupiter heard it and I think you might’ve stained some of your hair. You look like an inverse skunk” Eli says and Steve just makes it worse by reaching up a hand and touching it. 

“Steve go have a shower before you end up with permeant Skunk hair, I’ll clean up here. You two should really try and get to school on time today” Coach says only half glancing at them and Eli helps Steve to his feet. He makes a face at the grease on his hand and wipes it on Steve’s chest, marking the old shirt. 

“Hey look at that a perfect handprint,” Steve says chuckling under his breathe. Eli just rolls his eyes. 

It’s a mission to sneak past Lyn, Eli figuring she wouldn’t be too happy to see him after last night but finally he slumps on Steve’s bed as he waits for the blond to get out of the shower so he can reapply bandages. 

He drags out his journal and sketches in some of the features on Steve’s Vespa as he waits. 

“Nice” Steve says snapping him from concentration and Eli gives a small yelp as he slams the journal shut. He sends a glare Steve’s way but it turns into a frown as he takes in Steve’s mauled shoulder. 

“It’ll definitely scar” Eli comments as he helps Steve wrap his shoulder. 

“Hey chicks dig scars, they’ll think it’s awesome,” Steve says wiggling his eyebrows a little. 

“Yes and what will you tell them, though I guess you could always say you were mauled by a Chihuahua” 

“Or a lion!” 

“They might believe the Chihuahua more,” Eli says only to get flicked gently in the head as he grins. 

The only odd thing about that day is the fact that Toby loses on Taco Day. To Steve. 

“I-I lost,” Toby says bottom lip wobbling, Jim pats him gently on the back as Steve looks a little ill. 

“I think I ate too much” He groans slumping onto Eli’s shoulder. Nearly headbutting him in the process.

“You think it’s a uhh symptom? Increased appetite?” Claire whispers to Eli, a look of concern on her face. 

“Or Steve being an idiot, really you realise Steve does half the list on his own. Bite or not” 

“I heard that Pepperjack” Steve grumbles. Eli pinches him in reply. 

Eli has to catch the bus home that afternoon since Steve is serving detention. It sucks. You never realise how amazing having a personal ride to and from school is until you no longer have it. Damn Steve and his anger issues. 

“Hey, Pepperjack you and Steve fight or something?” Someone says. Eli should really know the name of but he can’t recall it at the moment. He vaguely thinks that they might have been friends with Steve once. 

Steve kinda stopped hanging out with his friends once they made the Reckless Club up. Eli never wanted to ask in case it brought out Steve’s asshole side again. 

“Nope, the idiots just serving detention” Eli mumbles not looking up from his sketch pad. 

Once the guy realises he his not gonna get a decent conversation out of Eli he leaves him to his sketching and daydreaming. 

The week after that is pretty standard. 

Bus guy introduces himself as Flinn and decides that he wants to sit next to Eli every afternoon. Eli finds this disappointing because he can’t openly draw but he deals with it. Turns out Flinn isn’t half bad and the trips go quicker but mostly Eli still tries to keep to himself. 

He also found out he was in fact correct. Flinn and Steve used to be friends and Flinn played defence on the Arcadia Oaks High football team. 

Steve seems to get antsy as well, like his wants out of his own skin. Eli just puts it down the fact finals are coming up soon and its just stress. He doesn’t want to think about it being the other possibility. Not yet. Not until he has definitive proof. Not until Steve tries to eat the mailman. 

The weekend thankfully comes quick enough and Eli spends early Saturday morning finally finishing his sketch. Filling in the minute details to Steve’s Letterman jacket and making sure to add the faint freckles. 

Eli is pulled from his thoughts though by Lyn. It’s always the Palchuk’s creating some sort of commotion in the street. Though at least now nobody had to wait for the blue murder screams or angry shouting from Steve’s dad anymore. That was a tiny blessing. 

“Steve Palchuk get your butt here now or so help me!” Lyn Palchuk screams. Eli pokes his head out his bedroom window to see Steve stomping towards his house, jaw set and anger in his eyes. 

Eli takes the stairs by two and peeks out of the front window instead. 

“Get back inside or your grounded. We have to talk about this!” Lyn continues to rant. 

“Ground me…not that it works anyway!” Steve shouts back not even turning to look at her. 

Eli watches Lyn make a motion with her hands, hair seemingly stuck up all over the place as cartoon-like steam almost seemed to pour from her ears. After a second though she turns and slams the front door so hard that Eli’s sure the window’s rattle. 

It takes five more seconds before Eli hears the knock on the door. 

“I know you’re in there, dweeb open up” Steve grumbles and Eli slips into the hallway, pulling the door open. 

“Hey” Eli murmurs quietly as Steve slips past him. Steve just gives him the tiniest half smile ever before moving towards the stairs. Eli closes the door and follows him silently.

Steve flops onto Eli’s bed as soon as they enter his room.

“Can I stay here for a few days?” Steve asks glancing at Eli. Eyes tired, whatever anger he was feeling gone. 

“Sure I guess, I don’t even think mum would notice at the moment.” He says moving to close his sketchbook before Steve can catch sight of it. 

Eli slumps onto his desk chair as he chews on the inside of his cheek. 

“W-was it a normal anger…could there be any chance that it was Varulv anger?” Eli says quietly but Steve still hears it. 

“I have no idea, it was a stupid fight anyway. The same one as always” Steve says sitting up and running a hand through his hair. Making part of it stick up almost comically. 

“She still wants you to go to Arcadia’s School of Business?” Eli presses gently. Steve nods frowning as he looks at the floor. 

“She doesn’t think that my football is gonna go anywhere. That I’m not good enough and should just focus something else.” 

Eli frowns. It had been a constant problem since the start of the year. A constant battle between Lyn and Steve. 

“Lyn will see it soon, she’ll understand that it’s one of your passions. That you can go far with it” 

“Passions don’t pay bills” Steve quotes, a bite to his voice. 

Eli scrambles for something else to talk about. 

“How’s your shoulder feeling?” 

“Fine, it’s healing. So that’s a plus” Steve says, lifting his arm above his head to prove a point. 

It falls into a semi-uncomfortable silence after that, So Eli suggests watching a James Bond marathon. They end up camping downstairs and getting their fingers all sticky with Caramel coated popcorn. 

Eli’s mum texts him saying to get pizza for dinner since she’s stuck at the office. After they gorge themselves on as much pizza as they can stomach. Eli falls into a food coma soon after they put Goldfinger on. 

His awoken much later to darkness, James bond doing some death-defying stunt on the tv. 

Steve is nowhere to be seen and Eli adjusts his glasses so they don’t press painfully into the bridge of his nose. 

He stands, groaning as his bones ache from the horrible way he’d been sleeping. 

“Steve?” He calls and he hears a noise in the kitchen. 

Eli slowly heads for the kitchen hoping that it’s just Steve making a midnight snack or something. What he walks into though is much weirder. 

Steve has slumped against the cupboards under the sink, the fridge door wide open. A raw, bloody steak sitting between his teeth. He blinks at Steve with acid yellow eyes. 

Eli finds the words falling from his mouth before he can stop himself. 

“Well at least it’s not the mailman”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FIller chapter. I really struggled with writing this one but here it is. I might come back later and fix it up. 
> 
> Also you guys should check out my playlist!  
> https://8tracks.com/cipher-falls/secrets-superheros


	5. The End Of The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time to talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While not quite happy with this chapter, I'd rather put something out then nothing at all for months. I'll most likely come back later and fix it up.

Eli was cautious as he walked over to his best friend. The blond seemingly focused on the steak hanging between his teeth. Blood dripping off it and onto his shirt. Staining the normally blue cotton red.

“Steve?” Eli says quietly as he kneels in front of him. 

He doesn’t want Steve to explode in anger or rage or something else werewolfy as he reaches out a trembling hand. 

“Steve,” He says again once he rests his hand on the other boy’s knee. 

That finally seems to break Steve’s concentration and his eyes flash up to Eli’s. It’s pure Steve. Brown eyes and slightly furrowed brows. 

“Wh…” He spits out the steak and looks down at it in shock and disgust. “Eli, what’s going on?” 

Steve sounds scared and confused and Eli wants to tell him that there’s nothing wrong. Because he can see Steve is just as terrified as him, maybe even more since it was his body that was losing control. 

“I’m sorry,” He murmurs and the blond sighs, moving to rest his head back against the kitchen cabinet. 

“So what do we do now?” Steve asks as Eli peels the steak from Steve’s leg and stands to throw it in the bin. Closing the fridge as he passes. 

“Talk to Jim and Blinky. Lock the fridge. Get you a leash,” Eli says trying to be funny but his voice comes out a bit shaken as his smile wavers.

This was the one thing he didn’t want and it came true. His brain was racing a million miles an hour and for the first time since his dad left, Eli had no possible clue what to actually do. What he should be feeling. 

Elation that his friend was still going to be ok and that they’d adapt, or fear that Steve would turn out like the werewolf that attacked them. That started this entire mess. 

He hears Steve stand and he quickly tries to centre his thoughts because one of them needed to be stable and Steve didn’t have the option when his very DNA was changing. 

“M-maybe Ms Lake can do some blood tests or something, on the down low you know. Just to see what’s actually going on,” He suggests to Steve. 

“Sure, whatever can help me keep track of this thing. I don’t want to end up like the asshole who attacked us, Eli. The thought of hurting you, hurting anybody…I can’t do it” Steve says as he peels off his bloody shirt and throws it in the bin as well. 

It would be an easy cover, A bloody nose. That’s if his mother asked. Most likely not but just in case. 

“Do you want me to call Jim now?” Eli asks him, staring to the side of his face rather than directly into his eyes. 

“No, not unless you think I’m gonna have another freak-out. If anything, I just want to sleep” Steve murmurs scratching the side of his face in thought. 

“Sleep is good,” Eli says feeling stupid because he has no idea what to say to make this right. That he can’t just snap his fingers and make it all better.  
They stand there awkwardly for a few seconds before Steve moves first. 

Past Eli and up the stairs. Eli following out of pure habit as he rubs his eyes. He can already feel a stress headache building right behind his nose.  
They both collapse on the bed, not really caring about the fact that they're so close. Not that they ever did normally. 

Eli is just about asleep when Steve speaks. 

“Do you think this’ll really turn out ok?” 

The words come out more like breaths, quiet and even. Hiding any emotion behind them. Hiding just how scared Steve is. 

“I honestly have no idea.” He mumbles as he opens a single eye. 

The still waning moon can be seen through his window. Casting its cursed light over Steve’s hair and face. To think before that Eli had barely thought of the moon as anything more than a light source and now it was like a ticking, time bomb. Counting down until his best friend effectively became a monster.

His woken the next morning by being effectively crushed by a snoring Steve. 

“Steve!” Eli groans as he feels like his ribcage is being squeezed as he struggles to push the jock off. The boy was like a freaking octopus when he slept and it normal for Eli to be in his clutches by morning. Even from the first time Steve had slept over. 

It had been awkward the next morning and now it was just something they never spoke about. 

“Steve get off!” He huffs. He knows Steve is awake but his apparently in a joking mood. 

“But you’re so warm,” The blond mumbles against his back before proceeding to hug him tighter. Eli wonders how much force it takes to break a rib and if it’s possible for someone to do it while hugging you to hard. 

“And you’re annoying. Get off,” He grumbles as he reaches out his free arm and searches for his glasses in the blur of his room. 

He finally finds them and shoves them onto his face. Then he proceeds to wiggle out of the other boy’s grip, such wiggling causes him to fall off the bed and Steve huffs out laughter. A single brown eye poking over the edge of the mattress to look down at Eli as he glares straight on back. 

“Boys up now!” A stern voice says from the doorway and Eli looks over to see his mother looking rather amused at their antics. “Breakfast is on the table, I have to get to work and no burning down the house. Do some homework. Go outside…just don’t sit in front of that stupid tv all day,”  
“Yes mother,” Eli says as he stands. 

She smiles at them and then just as quickly as she appeared she’s gone, off to save the world one felon at a time. 

They end up both racing downstairs, Eli’s stomach grumbling as his mouth waters at the scent of waffles. 

“Thanks, Ms P!” Steve shouts before she can leave the house. 

“Be good boys,” Is all they get in reply before the front door closes. 

They eat in silence Steve ironically wolfing his down with something akin to glee in his eyes. 

“Your mum makes the best waffles dude,” He says once his sitting back in his chair, licking the stray traces of maple syrup off the corners of his mouth. 

Eli can only agree before last night finally sets in. Steve must be thinking the same thing though because he also starts to frown. 

“I’ll call Jim,” Eli murmurs standing and heading back upstairs for his phone. Steve stays behind. 

He picks up his mobile and speed dials the Trollhunter. 

“Hey Eli what’s up?” Jim says cheerily. Eli can hear the sound of chopping in the background, probably Jim’s breakfast. 

“It’s Steve,” Eli starts off with because he has no true idea how to say it. Say that his best friend is turning into a monster. 

“Is he ok?” Jim asks before giving an echo of Eli’s words to someone else in the room. 

“It’s happening sort of. He..uh...last night…” 

“Did he hurt you?” Jim asks cutting off Eli’s stuttering. 

“No of course not but his changing. His eyes turned gold but only for like a second and he raided my fridge for steak and I’m scared of what’s going to happen to him,” Eli finally gets out in a giant rush as he fidgets with a hole in his pants. Right above the knee. 

“As much as you’ll probably hate hearing this, it’ll be fine. I’ll talk to Blinky about it and we’ll meet you at your house. And when mum has free time next I’ll get her to check him over but until then. I need you to stay calm because if you’re calm, Steve’s calm and that’s what we need right now.” Jim says in his Trollhunter voice. 

“Ok” Is all Eli can say because Jim was right. He needed to remain calm and not freak out even if that’s all his brain wanted to do right now. Even if it was that scene in SpongeBob where it was all on fire and there was thirty SpongeBob’s screaming. Just instead they were mini Eli’s. 

Jim hangs up on him after that, most likely to go and get Blinky. So, Eli’s trails back downstairs and sit beside Steve on the couch. Steve had turned the James Bond movies back on. Die Another Day by the looks of things.  
“So what’d Lake say?” Steve asks a few minutes of silence later. 

Eli gives him a single sentence run down and Steve can only nod. 

“I’m not dying,” Steve says fifteen minutes later. 

“What?” Eli asks being pulled from his brain. 

“You’re looking at me like I have cancer,” He says. 

“Sorry I was just thinking” Eli murmurs and sets his eyes firmly back on the tv. 

It’s silent after that. Almost too silent even with Bond swaggering all over the screen. 

There’s a knock at the door an hour later and Eli scrambles over the couch to reach the door. Only to jump in surprise when Jim, Blinky and Claire are already in his foyer. It’s all clicks into place when he remembers it’s sunny outside and he sees the staff in Claire’s hand. 

“We’re here to check on Master Steven,” Blinky says matter of factly. 

“Steve” Eli corrects out of habit but ushers them into the lounge room anyway. 

Steve was on edge, Eli could tell by the way he held his shoulders as he watches the trio enter the room. James Bond paused halfway through one of his many awesome stunts. 

After awkward pleasantries are exchanged, Blinky starts prodding and poking Steve like some science experiment. 

“Have you felt hungrier than usual in the past week?” Blinky asks. 

“Sure, a little I guess but I’ve also been at practice a lot recently as well” 

“Any cravings for raw meat?”

“Apart from my episode last night, no,” Steve says going to shake his head only to be stopped by Blinky’s fingers forcing his mouth open and poking at his teeth. Steve struggles to push the troll away. 

“IdonavefansBlinkah!” He mumbles grumpily, eyebrows sinking into a deep V. 

“Blinky, I don’t think you're getting anywhere with the prodding and poking,” Jim says gently from where he and Claire are standing and looking concerned. 

Blinky nods and steps back for a moment.

“True, I want your mother to have a look at him, Master Jim. I’ll just have to do some more research. See what the books find” 

Steven wipes his mouth and looks thoroughly pissed off but seems to hold his tongue well enough. Eli feels useless as he sits on the couch and plays with a loose thread on his pants. 

“Any excessive anger towards Elijah or others?” Blinky continues. 

“There was…” Claire starts but a look from Jim shuts her up and she fidgets with her staff. 

“Nothing out of the usual. I mean I put a guy in his place for messing with Eli but that was about it” Steve says with a shrug, the scowl slowly deepening on his face. 

Eli is drawn to his shoulder only to blanche in surprise. 

“Yo-your wound!” He says moving into Steve’s space and poking him in the shoulder. 

What stitches and redness that had lingered yesterday were completely gone, leaving faint silvery marks in its place. 

“It’s completely gone, Claire come look at this” Eli says dragging his hand across Steve’s skin. 

Steve just looks at him like his insane but Claire comes over to them and inspects the wound as well. 

“How did it look yesterday?” She asks glancing between the shoulder and Eli, a look of wonder on her face. 

“It still had stitches and it definitely didn’t look like an old scar” Eli explains. 

“Alright that’s enough, stop touching!” Steven grumbles pushing Eli away gently. 

Eli goes just so he doesn’t irritate the jock too much more. 

“So are we counting that as rapid healing?” Jim asks. 

“I think we might have to but for now we’ll just have to see how he goes,” Eli says. 

“You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not in the room. I’m fine ok. Not like I’m about to start sprouting claws and fangs on you just yet” Steven snaps standing. 

“Sorry” Claire mutters. 

Blinky nods along also looking apologetic. 

“Well, when you're done deciding if you want to treat me like an animal or a human I’ll be upstairs” Steven growls leaving the room. 

Eli frowns as he stares after his best friend. 

“I should go talk to him, t-this can’t be easy on him either,” He says sliding off the couch. 

The trio nods in agreement before huddling together and whispering amongst themselves. Eli heads up the stairs and finds Steve sitting on his bed. Head in his hands. 

“Steve?” Eli mutters when he enters the room. Apprehensive and not wanting to push Steve. 

“You know how hard I’ve tried to be every possible thing my dad wasn’t. To be less of a monster and less of an asshole but I can’t escape it. 

Everywhere I turn I hurt someone or I do something wrong and now I’m literally turning into a monster!” Steve says moving his hands to pull at his hair as he stares at the floor. He sounds tired and scared and Eli can understand it all. 

“You aren’t going to become a monster. I won’t allow it” Eli murmurs moving forwards until his in Steve’s space again. 

“I don’t think you have much of a choice Peps. By the end of the month, I’m going to grow fangs and fur and I’m gonna want to hurt someone…I’m gonna wanna hurt you Eli and I don’t think I can stomach that” Steve whispers looking up at him with pained eyes. 

“We’ll figure out something ok. Whether we put you down in a secluded part of Trollmarket or we find a spell or a cure. We’ll figure something out. I promise and I promise that I’ll be by your side the entire way” Eli says, patting Steve on the shoulder. 

He jolts in surprise when his brought into a hug though. 

“You always know what to say to make me feel better,” Steve says in one of his few rare moments of vulnerability. 

“It’s my job, what else a best friend’s for,” Eli says a little awkward as he pats Steve’s back gently. His glasses skew-whiff from where they're pressing into Steve’s shoulder. 

“Uh Steve, Eli?” A voice says startling them both. 

Steve lets Eli go quickly, coughing awkwardly as Eli takes a spot on the bed and they both look at Claire. 

“Just know that we’re gonna do everything we possibly can to fix this or help you guys in any way that’s needed. I’m gonna spend every hour I can on research and Eli, Blinky’s finally given you permission to come and check out the Trollmarket Library because ten eyes are better than eight” She explains. 

Had this been any other time Eli would have screamed and jumped for joy but right now all he needed was a chance to find a cure. 

“Thank you, it’s really an honour. Tell Blinky I’m grateful. Also, thank him for coming over. Hopefully, he found something that could help” Eli says.  
She nods and Eli knows their only gone by it going deathly quiet downstairs. 

“So what do you want to do now?” Eli asks just to stop the quiet from getting to him. 

“Sorry but think I might just head home. Wrap my head around the last few hours. If that’s ok?” Steve says glancing at him, looking a little sheepish. 

“Sure, no I get it. If I was in your position I would probably be a wreck on the floor so you're doing amazingly so far” 

“That wreck on the floor option is sounding pretty good for now,” Steve says ruffling Eli’s hair as he stands. “I’ll text in later, tell you that I’m still breathing and all that junk. Later buttsnack” 

Eli watches him go and he sighs laying back on his bed to stare at the ceiling in numbness for a while. Just trying not to think of everything they just found out. He rubs his eyes and sighs louder. 

Tomorrow he’ll get Jim or Claire to take him to the Trollmarket library after school so he could research some stuff and get his bearings. 

Eli’s eyes droop shut from the anxiety and he ends up having a fitful nap. Waking up sweating from a nightmare full of fangs, gore and familiar yellow eyes.


	6. Trollmarket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trollmarket

Eli tried to remain as serious as possible as Blinky led him and Steve through Trollmarket. Pointing out so many things that Toby had talked about before. He was here for a reason and as much as he wants to scream in joy and explore every inch of the place he swallows it and instead talks to Blinky about what’s been found so far. 

“Unfortunately whatever books on the Varulv where lost in the move over from Norway. Which is very frustrating but we have a few ancient scrolls that I’m currently trying to decipher but they’re in a language that hasn’t been used in a very long time. So I thought maybe you could help, Claire told me your good with languages” 

Eli nods and turns to see Steve looking around, taking in every square inch for danger as he kept close to Eli’s side. 

“So what you basically have is an old piece of paper that is of no use to nobody?” Steve says and he still sounds tired. 

When Eli had asked him to come with him to Trollmarket. At first, he thought Steve was just gonna roll over and go back to sleep. But the blond had pulled himself from bed and gotten dressed. 

“Well, it will be of some use…once we figure out how to understand it.” Blinky says leading them into a large room filled to the brim with books. The smell of old leather and papyrus made his nose twinge and he hoped his allergies didn’t play up. 

He rubs his nose as he takes it all in and he allows himself a single moment to celebrate the fact that he was in the Trollmarket Library and he was only the fourth ever human to do so. Blinky leads him over to the scroll section of the library. 

Eli looks over it and tries to figure out exactly what language it would be…nothing came to mind though and he looks up when a pile of books topples over. 

Steve looks sheepish, his hands still held out from where he had tried to stop the mini avalanche. 

“Sorry Blinky” He mumbles as he sets about picking everything up and trying to stack it up again. Eli just laughs softly under his breathe and presses his glasses back into place from where they had slipped down his nose. 

“Please be careful Master Steve. Some of these books are quite a bit older then me even and are very delicate” Blinky says and Steve nods sitting himself down in the middle of the floor as far away from all the books he could possibly touch and pulling out his phone. 

“It looks like a drunk troll wrote this” Eli murmurs quite a while later, Steve looking through one random book or another he had picked up off the floor. His eyebrows deep set as he struggles to understand any of it. 

Eli had tried to teach the jock how to read Trollish but that went about as well as tutoring him in Spanish. Which is to say, not that well at all and normally ended up with them both frustrated and tense.

“That gives me an idea” Blinky murmurs and he disappears from the room.  
Eli looks back to the scroll and fifteen minutes later Blinky appears, a pink, smooth stone in one of his many hands. 

“What’s that gonna do?” Steve asks looking up. 

“Well when Elijah said that it seemingly was written by a drunk troll, that gave me the idea that maybe only another drunk troll can have the chance of understanding it,” Blinky says before shoving the stone into his mouth. 

Eli just watches as Blinky hiccups pink bubbles and a giddy smile comes to his face. 

“Let’s get this scroll read!” He slurs loudly as he stumbles towards the table. Eli winces when Blinky sets his hands down on the table far too hard and it groans under his weight. 

Steve just looks amused. 

“Gibberish…absolutely gibberish!” Blinky grumbles and Eli realises why. It was upside down. He spins the scroll and Blinky’s face lights up. “Ahh, there we go. Now that makes perfect sense.” 

Eli and Steve wait with baited breathe as Blinky drags his eyes across the page. 

“It says here that we might have some books on Varulvs in the vault. I’ll need to talk to Vendel and get some permission before I root through the archives. That should only take a few days at most unless Vendel is being particul…particularilya… Uh, really mean” Blink says words slurring more and more. 

“I think I need a nap, Master Jim and the others are in the Heartstone sparring. I’m ce…” Blinky doesn’t even finish his sentence as his butt hits the floor, making the room vibrate and a few books hit the floor as he starts snoring up a storm. 

Steve and Eli look at each other and Steve laughs. Eli can’t help but smile even as he starts pushing his friend towards the door. Leaving the troll to his nap. 

They find the Heartstone easily enough and Eli’s jaw drops as he takes it in. Jim and Aaarrrgghh we’re sparing in the centre. Claire and Toby sitting next to the door and watching, both sweating profusely and looking happy with themselves. 

“Hey Eli, Steve. How’d you go find anything?” Toby asks. 

Eli explains Blinky’s findings and Claire and Toby just nod. 

“Vendel’s been in a good mood latterly. You might have an easier go of it” Claire mutters only to duck when Jim goes sailing back and slams into the wall above their head. 

“Whoops” Aaarrrgghh mumbles loudly, as Jim slides to the floor and picks himself up, shaking his head. 

“I’m fine, I don’t think anything’s broken?” Jim says patting himself down and Toby snickers. 

“The last time you said that you had broken your wrist.” 

Eli zones them out when he sees a dark cloud over Steve’s face. He swallows the lump that had formed in his throat and he waves his hand in front of his best friend’s face. 

Steve looks down at him and Eli’s nightmare flashes through his mind. 

“You ok?” Eli asks and Steve shakes his head, eyes clearing up. That dark cloud disappearing. 

“What?” Steve asks completely and utterly clueless. 

Eli frowns. 

“You zoned out and you looked like you were about to throw Jim into a lake of fire” He murmurs and Steve frowns. 

“Hey you two, I’m leaving. Want me to drop you home?” Claire asks interjecting before Steve can say anything. 

Eli nods. He had free reign to come back now, he can look around later. He was more concerned about Steve right now though. 

Claire makes a portal and Eli steps through it. Feeling that vacuum like feeling on his skin for a second before he appears in his bedroom. 

Steve steps into the room behind him and the portal closes up. 

“Did you feel any different? Like angry or defensive?” Eli asks picking up his journal and opening it to his page on Steve. 

“The last thing I remembered doing was walking past those three Gnomes conga-lining,” Steve says. 

Eli frowns and writes down potential memory loss and the scary look on Steve’s face. He’ll have to talk to Claire and Blinky about it the next time he sees them. He didn’t need Steve blacking out and doing some that could haunt him. 

“You want to watch Tv for a while or something? I don’t want to go home yet” Steve asks, dragging a hand through his hair. 

Eli nods and they spend the next few hours watching tv and doing the occasional bites of homework. Eli ends up having a five-minute conversation with himself about their science project before he realises that Steve has fallen asleep. 

He lets himself admire his friend for a second, the way Steve looks actually peaceful when he sleeps. His hair flopping over his face. He would need a hair cut soon. Steve looks totally relaxed and Eli really, just wishes that they had stayed home that night. 

That this wasn’t happening and he that he didn’t have to fear for his best friends life. 

Sometimes in the darkest parts of the night when Eli couldn’t sleep because he felt like his chest was about to cave in from the weight of everything he knew, He regretted it all. He regretted even getting to know Steve and involving themselves in stuff like this. 

They didn’t have magical suits of armour or fancy artefacts. They were so outmatched but looking at Steve's face every morning and watching the blond ramble on about how amazing Creeplaying has always pushed those thoughts to the back of Eli’s brain and he regretted, regretting it. 

Right now looking at Steve he wasn’t sure what he felt, so instead of thinking on it. He turns away and lets the sound of the tv wash over him. Dousing him in its staticy tones and stupid humour. 

Steve wakes up an hour later and even Eli hears his stomach growling. They end up heating up a pizza from the freezer and Eli watches Steve devour five slices before Eli has even gotten halfway through his second.

“How are you feeling?” Eli asks. 

“I’m ok. A little spacey and tired but I’m fine. How about you, this can’t be easy for you? I’m sorry” 

“I think I’m ok. I wish this hadn’t happened but we’ll make it work. Even if it means we have to buy you a few squeaky toys” He says face growing into a grin as Steve kicks him under the table, even as the corners of his mouth curl up a little. 

Steve shaking his head at Eli’s horrible joke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has taken so long to write out and I'm still not completely happy with it. But I figured I would give you all something more and fix it later.


	7. Arcadia's Arcade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a break

Eli spends the next three days with a pen in his hand and his brain aching. Every waking minute is filled with research both for School and for Steve. He spends hours upon hours in the Trollmarket Library and eventually he certain he starts speaking Trollish in his sleep. 

“You need to have a break dude,” Steve says on the third afternoon when Eli was trying to read through a stack of books taller than him. Some of it for his paper on nanotechnology and how it can help cancer patients, others on old werewolf data that Blinky had brought from the depths of storage. 

Vendel hadn’t been too happy about it but Blinky had convinced him after a day of pandering and moaning about it. 

“Come on Peps, seriously. We haven’t done something fun in a while. Let’s go play video games or something. Stop stressing about this crap for a while” Steve whines fifteen minutes later. 

“We only have like half a month left. I need to figure out if we can cure you or if we have to find a way to contain you when you…when you…” Eli doesn’t know how to finish that sentence. 

“When I turn into a man-eating monster.” Steve supplies and Eli doesn’t look at him as he nods.

Before Eli can return to his books though, he feels two arms wrap around his waist and lift him into the air. 

“Steve, Put me down!” He grumbles as the blond throws him over his shoulder. 

“No. Now we are having some fun!” The blond says moving for the Library’s exit. 

They run into Aaarrrgghh and Toby on the way through. 

“Please help I’m being kidnapped!” Eli says reaching out a hand. 

Both Troll and boy just laugh.

“It’ll do you some good. Even us Trollhunters need a break from time to time. Make sure Eli doesn’t do anything else until tomorrow” Toby says and Eli sighs in defeat, slumping against his friends back. 

Steve just laughs, victory in his voice as he practically skips out of the Trollmarket.

He only sets Eli on his feet once their back out in the canal but before Eli can move away from the big brute. His being pulled close to Steve’s side, arm slung over his shoulders. 

“So what would you like to do for fun, We could go and see a movie. Even one of those weird French ones you like.” Steve asks as he helps Eli up the wall of the canal. 

“No, I don’t think I could focus on a movie…” Suddenly an idea hits him and he grins. 

“Oh no. Not the arcade.” Steve sighs and Eli nods. Steve sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“The last time we went, I lost you to Galaga for like four hours” 

“Those were a fun four hours but I promise I’ll stay away from Galaga” 

“And Mrs Pacman?” Steven presses.   
“Scouts honour,” Eli says tugging his best friend towards the Vespa. 

“You weren’t a scout” Steve points out and Eli just ignores him. 

The drive there is quick and Eli feels blinded as soon as he steps into the Arcadia Oaks Arcade. Various screens blaring with noise. The place was filled with both old and new. Ranging from one of the original Pacman to one of those Flappy Bird games. 

Eli drags Steve over to the Air Hockey though. The one “sport” Eli was seemingly good at. At least against Toby. 

“Prepare to lose Buttsnack!” Steve says pushing the puck towards him. 

“Never!” Eli says and the next half an hour is filled with the clink of the puck hitting against the sides of the table. And Steve slowly losing.

They're on their last five rounds. 18-15. Eli somehow in front as his glasses start to slip down his nose from the sweat building. Steve though was focused on the puck, eyes following it as it bounces back over to him. 

He hits it and sends it slamming back Eli’s way. So viciously that the puck hits Eli’s buffer and bounces, hitting Eli in the chest. He drops the buffer in surprise as he gasps, pain flaring through his chest as the puck hits the floor. 

“Shit Eli, are you ok?” Steve asks and he looks up at the blonde only to freeze dead. 

Golden eyes were boring into his own and it was like Steve was trying to see into his soul. His eyes almost cold looking. Animalistic, predatory. It sent shivers up Eli’s spine and he felt like a literal dear caught in a headlight. 

Steve blinks though and those familiar warm brown eyes return, it jars Eli back to reality and he bends over to pick up the puck. Other hand rubbing what will surely bruise. 

“Yeah, I’m fine, just a little winded. You ok?” He asks, fearing that Steve had, had another mini blackout. 

“Yeah, why?” 

“N-no reason. Uhh, you want to play something else now?” He asks setting the puck back on the table. 

“And what let you win?” Steve jeers. Eli, not one to give up grabs his buffer again and goes to hit the puck. Only to whimper in pain. It flares through his chest and down his arm and Steve is immediately in his face. Grabbing his hand and poking Eli in the chest. 

“Sorry, Peps.” He murmurs softly and Eli shrugs. Letting the older boy touch him softly. Letting his hidden crush flare for a single moment. 

“It’s ok. It was an accident. We can go and play Donkey Kong” He says stepping back before he does something stupid. 

“Sure of course,” Steve says and once more slings his arm over Eli’s shoulders, pulling him towards the slowly dying machine. 

It had been here as long as Eli could remember. Getting maintenance every few years but still has that aged look about it. 

They play for a while and Eli lets himself imagine that this is a date and that Steve is his boyfriend and that everything is right with the world. Only until his character dies and his brought back to the real world by Steve nudging him in the side in victory. 

He sighs and rubs his achy chest. Steve glancing at him out of the corner of his eye. 

“You sure you're ok?” Steve asks softly, a little bit of guilt in his voice. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. What do you want to play now?” He asks and Steve shrugs, turning around to lean against the machine. 

He looks so relaxed like his world hadn’t been pulled from under his feet in the last two weeks. Like he wasn’t going to turn into a werewolf by the end of the month. 

“Maybe I should get to more research.” He mumbles and Steve frowns, shaking his head. 

“Nope, Toby said you weren’t allowed until tomorrow. Come on, let me kick your butt in Tekken.” Steve says grabbing his wrist gently and dragging him further into the loud arcade. 

They end up acting like normal kids for a little while. Shouting at each other as Eli smashes the buttons on the machine, trying to KO Steve’s Akuma. 

Eli bursting into cheers when he finally wins. Doing his version of a happy dance. He stops though when he sees Steve looking at him, eyes soft. Corner of his mouth turned up. 

“What?” He asks and Steve shakes his head. 

“Nothing, come on the Arcade is starting to close,” Steve says and Eli freezes for the second time that day when Steve grabs his hand. Not his wrist, not his elbow. His actual hand. Steve’s hand was bigger than his and for a second he understood all those cheesy movies and books. Where it felt like his hand was disappearing into the blond boys. Where he felt like electricity was shooting up his arm. 

Steve pulls him along then and Eli only snaps back into action so he doesn’t face plant. 

He struggles to keep his grin in check as they both wave to the Arcade worker. Bernie blinks in surprise though but says nothing, just turns away to the machine he was working on but not before Eli watches his face break out into the widest smile. 

“So what do you want to do for fun next?” Steve asks as they head for his Vespa. 

“I could kick your butt in Mortal Kombat?” Eli suggests. 

“Nah I’m over video games for the moment. We could watch that show you’ve been trying to get me into. The one with the orphans?” Steve says and Eli nods enthusiastically. 

They finally reach the Vespa and Steve pulls his hand away so he can grab his keys. Eli’s hand feels cold now and slightly tingly. Like someone has almost rubbed Poison Ivy on it. He doesn’t say anything about it though and just slides onto the Vespa behind Steve. Wrapping his arms around the blonde’s waist. 

His chest still ached but he really didn’t care. Those Golden Eyes gone from his mind as he rests his head against his best friend’s back. The air rushing by, making his hair fluff up. 

If only today could last forever. If only he could go back to holding Steve’s hand. 

Eli doesn’t realise he's fallen asleep until Steve is poking him in the shoulder gently. 

“Oi, Peps we’re home” Steve murmurs softly and Eli sits up, rubbing his eyes and pushing his glasses back up his nose. 

“Sorry” He mumbles before yawning. Steve sliding off the scooter and Eli follows. Steve steals Eli’s house key from his back pocket and Eli struggles to not just have a pure cranial meltdown. 

Steve doesn’t even seem to notice though as he moves to unlock the door and guides, Eli, inside. 

“Hey boys, how was your day?” Eli’s mother asks from her spot at the table. 

“Good thanks Ms Pepperjack.” Steve answers, Eli just nods in agreement. Today had been good. 

“What did you do?” She asks, never looking up from the stack of documents she was looking through. 

“We went to the Arcade and did some homework” Eli offers and his mother nods. 

They both wait a few more seconds for her to ask another question. But it never comes so they escape up to Eli’s room. 

Eli moves over to his desk and opens the journal, writing down the Golden Eyes. They don’t end up watching anything. Instead, they just talk about random things. Avoiding the one topic that they probably should be talking about. 

But Eli was done with Varulv stuff for the day. He didn’t want to focus on the future. Just the now.

“Mary’s party is tomorrow. You joining me?” Steve asks, looking hopeful. 

Eli thinks on it for a moment but finally ends up shaking his head. Parties just made him nervous. Like he was gonna say the wrong thing, or embarrass himself. 

“I was hoping I would have my wingman but ok sure,” Steve says pouting a little even as he shrugs. 

“Would you like me to come and pick you up?” Eli asks. Eli had his licence sure he just was the most nervous driver in the world. So normally it was left to Steve. Safer for Eli’s sanity that way. 

“Nah I’ll just walk home or something. Mary’s isn’t that far” 

Eli nods and lays back on his bed, looking up at the plastic, glow in the dark stars that adorned his roof. Steve joins him and they spend the next fifteen minutes in silence. Both in their head. 

“Boys dinner!” His mother shouts before they can think of anything else to talk about. 

Eli hadn’t even realised how hungry he was as he slides off the bed. They both race downstairs and help his mom set the table. Eli scoffs down his food and Steve snickers even though his eating just as fast. 

“Jeez boys, you’ll choke if you eat that fast. Animals. The both of you” Eli’s Mom chides even as she smiles a little bit. 

“Sorry” They both mumble around forkfuls of food. 

Suddenly a loud thump happens upstairs and they all look up in confusion. 

“What was that?” His mother asks. 

“Probably just some books falling. I’ll pick them up later” Eli says realising it was in fact books. Books from the Trollmarket Library. 

He’ll have to send Claire a thank you. 

After dinner, Steve finally has to head home and he waves the other boy away. Eli heads upstairs and he was right. So he sends Claire a quick thanks as he sorts them out into School and Troll. 

He picks one of the books he had been reading earlier before Steve had kidnapped him. Only for his phone to ding. He glances at it and laughs quietly. 

“Put the book down! No more reading until tomorrow. Watch some crappy tv for once”

“What you watching me now or something?” Eli shoots back, glad that Steve can’t see his stupid smile. 

“No. I just know you very well. Now put the book down” 

Eli sighs but follows Steve’s orders. Closing the book and setting it aside. He ends up watching Youtube until he falls asleep. Glad for once that it was Friday tomorrow and that meant he had a half day. 

Not that he would leave the school, he’d probably hang around and watch Steve at football practice. 

Eli dreams he was in the stands, watching Steve playing a home game. He was cheering Steve on. Watching him zip around the field and score goal after goal. But then something happens. It’s like the clouds darken over the field and he hears a growling noise. 

He watches Steve’s head swivel around to him and his frozen as those gold eyes stare at him. Something bad was about to happen. 

Eli can only stare, frozen as Steve turns and takes down the other Quarterback. Slamming into the ground so hard Eli hears a crack. Only Steve doesn’t get up. His back seemingly expanding as he breathes roughly. 

The guy underneath him screams then as a tearing sound rips through the silence. Everybody watching the scene before them. 

He whimpers when it’s like Steve’s back breaks, a sickening crack filling the silent air. Steve somehow still stands. Uniform ripping as fur exploded from underneath it. It happens so quickly that one second Eli was looking at Steve and next he was looking at a nightmare. Tatters of clothing on the grass.

It was giant and feral looking, fur mattered as the visiting Quarterback had rolled over onto his belly, leg bent at an odd angle. Trying to get away. Dragging himself desperately through the grass. Everybody having run. Eli was the only one left in the stands, still frozen in shock and fear. Pure, utter fear. 

Eli feels sick as he watches the monster step forwards and pick up the football player like he wasn’t 6 ft 2 and weighed nearly 200 hundred pounds. Eli screams blue murder when the monster rips the Quarterback in half like a piece of paper. Guts spilling on the grass below, staining it red. 

Eli jolts awake, sitting up and sweating. He runs a hand over his face as he sucks in a deep breathe. Trying to remove the image of gore from his brain. He reaches for his phone and before he thinks on it. He calls Steve. 

“Yo, what’s up?” He gets a few seconds later and he sighs in relief. Steve was still Steve. 

“Uh, nothing sorry. Go back to sleep. Just had to check something” Eli murmurs laying back down. His computer still playing videos in the background. 

“Did you have another nightmare?” Steve asks, voice still thick and groggy. 

“Yeah” 

“You want to talk about it, do you want me to come over?” His best friend asks concern lingering in his voice. He hears Steve sit up. 

“No, no your fine. I’m fine. Just had to make sure you were you” Eli says quickly. Feeling stupid for disturbing Steve. 

“Well, I’m still me. I haven’t tried to eat anybody just yet” Steve says. Sounds reassuring. 

“Good to know…you’ll tell me right? If you start uh…” Eli doesn’t know how to say it. How to finish that sentence. 

“If I start craving human flesh.” Steve finishes for him and Eli nods even though the blond can’t see him. “Don’t worry I will. Now try and get back to sleep.” 

“Ok. Thank you. Sorry” 

“Don’t be. Night Pepperbuddy” 

“Night” Eli mumbles hanging up. 

He gets back to sleep rather easily and thankfully isn’t plagued by any more nightmares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thought i would make up for the last two chapters not being up to par. With this chapter.


	8. Fiesta.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli might drink a little to much.

Friday was boring, to say the least. The day was rather mundane compared to the ones before it. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. No creepers appeared. Steve was a 100% human. No eye flashes. No excessive strength. Nothing. It was almost a little to mundane for Eli’s liking. 

It was like that moment in a horror movie where you knew something bad was about to happen and you wanted to tell the protagonist to run for it, to not open that door or go down into that cellar. 

He swallowed down the fear as he sat on the bleachers and watched Steve practise. His nightmare still lingering in the back of his brain. Practise goes smoothly though, absolutely nothing Varvulvy at all and Eli sucks in a deep breath as he waits for Steve to get out of the changing rooms. 

“Hey, Eli.” Someone says though and he turns only to give a small smile when he sees Flinn. The boy pushing his wet hair from his forehead. 

He was annoyingly attractive. Like he was almost bored of it. Bored of the fact that all he had to do was sweep his hair back and smile and every girl in a five-mile radius would swoon. 

“Hey,” Eli says voice doing that stupid thing it did around attractive people. Cracking and pitching. He’d gotten over puberty but it still wasn’t quite ready to let him go. 

“You coming to Mary’s party tonight? It’s gonna be fun” Flinn says throwing him one of those dashing smiles. Even he stance was cocky, relaxed. Like he owned the very ground he was standing on. 

“I never really do well at those things.” 

“No come on, I’ll take you. We’ll have fun and if you don’t. I’ll make it up to you” Flinn says, pouting at him. 

“I…” Eli words pause though when Flinn’s face turns to thunder and he feels an arm wrap around his shoulders. 

“What’s this about tonight’s party?” Steve asks. 

“I was just asking Eli if he was going and if he’d like me to take him?” Flinn says shrugging. Thunder turning down to a low simmer. 

Eli feels like he doesn’t want to be here, in the middle of this. Whatever this is. 

“Eli was going with me,” 

“I mean I’m not even sure if I was going” Eli stammers out, not wanting them to fight. 

“Well if you want to go, call me. I’ll come and pick you up” Flinn says, looking more at Steve then Eli. 

“And then how would Eli get home when your drunk off your ass?” Steve grumbles back, arm tensing around Eli’s shoulders. Keeping him firmly in place. 

“And you won’t be?” Flinn asks. Sneers more then anything and Eli isn’t sure what to do. What even is really going on. 

“I’d at least walk him home” 

“Uh, I don’t think I’m gonna go anyways.” Eli finally blurts and Flinn frowns. 

“Oh well, if you change your mind. I’ll see you there. Show you what real fun is” Flinn says, flashing Eli one of those smiles that makes his chest tighten. 

Steve watches Flinn go and Eli watches Steve, Looking for a hint of gold in his eyes. But all he gets is a dark brown and he lets that relax him a little. 

“What was all that about?” He asks and Steve shrugs, stepping away from him. Seemingly returning back to happy-go-lucky Steve and Eli finally gets a decent look at him. 

He was back in his blue polo. Hair parted like normal and still dampfrom his shower. His duffel thrown over his shoulder. He still looks a little tense though even if his relaxed since Flinn has walked away. 

“I just don’t like the guy. He always gets on my nerves” Steve finally supplies as they set off for the carpark. 

“Aren’t you guys friends though?” 

“We’ve hung out sure, his on the team. But I wouldn’t call him a friend. An…acquaintance maybe. Look, Eli, let me just say that if I was a bad guy. His a worse one. You can’t trust him” Steve explains. 

Eli frowns. Flinn had only ever been nice to him, even when Steve had been a bully instead of a friend. Not that Flinn had ever been the good guy and tried to stop Steve but he hadn’t added to the torture any. Doesn’t that at least count for something? 

Steve is quiet for the ride home, only asking if Eli was coming or not. Eli looks over at his house, the lights still off. His mother’s car gone. He’d be alone and bored all night. Jim and the others most likely going as well so he finally nods and Steve flashes him a smile. 

“Sweet, I’ll be over in a few to make sure you don’t dress like a dork,” He says before ruffing Eli’s hair and making his glasses skew whiff. 

Eli fixes the lenses and watches Steve disappear into his house. Lyn’s voice ringing out before being cut off by the closing of the front door. He treks over to his own and he waits until Steve is ready. He already knows anything he suggests Steve will say no to. 

He was right about his mother as well. There was a sticky note on the fridge. She would be at the office until late anyway. 

Steve lets himself in and Eli has to look at the floor for a moment so he doesn’t show something stupid on his face. Steve normally looked nice but tonight he looks amazing. 

He had donned his letterman jacket, with tight black jeans and has mused his hair up. So what normally was parted, almost looked like every time he rolled out of bed. Fluffy almost and Eli only looks up once Steve’s back is turned to him, rifling through his closest.

Eli watches him bypass all of the graphic t-shirts and punny shirts Eli owns before pulling out one of his plainer shirts. That just had two black stripes across it, the rest white and his dark green jeans. 

Eli catches the clothing when it’s thrown at him and he ducks into the bathroom to quickly change. He holds out his arms as he waits for judgment and Steve nods, stepping closer. 

“Looking good Peps, just one more thing.” He says simply and suddenly his hands are in Eli’s hair and his face is really close and oh god. Steve’s fingers feel really nice as he does something or other. 

But just as quickly as Steve is in his face, his moving back to examine his work. Steve smiles and Eli’s vision goes straight to the fake tooth, the one that had to be replaced after Jim knocked it out. He wonders what would happen to it when Steve had his first...transformation. 

 

“Perfect. Now come on, or else we’ll be late” Steve says grabbing his hand just like yesterday and those tingles are back as Eli is pulled down the stairs. 

Apparently, Steve had decided on walking, so his Vespa didn’t have to be left at Mary’s and Eli takes the time to take a few deep breaths. Watching the sky growing pink and orange as the sun slowly sinks beyond the horizon. 

“If you want to go at any time, come and find me. I don’t want you walking home on your own. Who knows what’s lingering out here” Steve says, eyes darting around and Eli just nods. 

By the time they get there, it’s only a suburb away, the sun has just sunken halfway behind the skyline and Mary’s house is already far too loud. 

Eli watches as Steve practically changes before his eyes. Adopting a cocky walk and a smirk that only covered half his face. King Steve was back. Eyes alert as he takes in the crowd lingering out the front. Eli just sticks close to his side as he says hello to a few others from the team. All of them sporting letterman jackets. 

It was like some unspoken rule about house parties, everybody on the team had to wear their letterman jacket. 

“Hey, you brought Pipsqueak.” One of the wide receivers says. Sherman, Eli vaguely recalls. Who names their kid Sherman is beyond Eli, but he wasn’t really one to talk either. Not with Leslie as a middle name. He just gives a curt wave but finds it easier to say nothing. 

“Yeah, thought Eli could do with a little more socialising” Steve jests, flashing Eli a small genuine smile before returning back to his popular façade. 

 

“Well if you get bored Pepperjack, come find me. I’ll show you a good time” Sherman says winking at him before bursting into loud laughter. Eli misses the joke but that doesn’t matter because Steve is guiding him off, into the actual house. 

He’d been over to Mary’s a few times on group study sessions and movie nights but he still can’t get over how big it is and yet how tight it feels with this many people here. He almost wants to reach for his inhaler but stops himself. He hadn’t needed it in years. He wasn’t about to need it now. 

Steve stops on occasion and talks to a few more people, Eli still preferring to stay quiet as he hangs by the blond boy’s side. Until they finally make it to the kitchen. 

“You drinking tonight?” Steve asks filling up one red solo cup with what his certain is Jack Daniels…or maybe Jim Beam. He's never quite sure. 

“Uhhhh, sure,” He says, not quite sure on that either. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll look after you?” Steve says sincerely, handing Eli the cup. That smirk still in place but his eyes are soft. 

Eli looks down the dark amber liquid and before he can wimp out, he swallows it down in one. Gagging when it burns his throat, the coke doing almost nothing to hide the horrid taste. 

Steve smacks him on the back, chuckling a little as Eli feels like he's coughing up a lung. 

“Sip dumbass, it’s not a shot” 

Eli nods and Steve makes him up another one. This time he follows Steve’s orders and finds he can handle the burn easier. 

They stumble upon the Trollhunters after that. Eli is on his third drink by the point Claire pulls him onto the makeshift dance floor that is the lounge room and he loses track of Steve as he loses himself in the music. 

It seems to make his very bones vibrate, someone…Toby, he thinks hands him another drink. This one is sweet and it goes down like cordial. By this point Eli’s head is fuzzy and he finds everything funny. Even Toby’s stupid jokes. 

He runs into Mary at one stage. Well her and the guy she was making out with. Sending all three of them toppling over and he apologized profusely. Mary laughing about it. Her guy glaring at Eli but not saying anything. 

“Jeez Eli, how much have you had to drink?” Someone asks and he looks up to see Flinn looking down at him. Flinn looked drool-worthy. Blue eyes twinkling as the corners of his eyes creased, finding Eli amusing but not laughing at Eli. Just with him. 

“Not that much” He mumbles as Flinn pulls him to his feet, reaching out a hand and adjusting Eli’s glasses for him. The gesture sweet and heart-warming. 

“How about we get you off the dancefloor before you hurt any more unsuspecting innocents,” Flinn says teasingly and Eli nods. Surprised when Flinn grabs his hand and pulls him out of the lounge room. 

His pulled out to the back yard and his head calms a little when the cool air hits his skin. His sat on the back porch, Flinn disappearing. 

“Here drink this” Flinn says suddenly, holding out another red solo cup. Eli jumps a little, thinking the jock had abandoned him. 

Those horror stories Eli’s read flashes to his mind though and he frowns. 

“It’s not drugged is it?” He gets out, words slurring a little. 

Flinn laughs and shakes his head. 

“Here, I’ll prove it to you,” He says before sipping from the cup. Eli takes it and finds that it’s mostly coke anyways. 

“Thanks,” He says as Flinn sits down beside him. 

“Your welcome, where’s Steve I thought he was gonna be with you the entire night?” 

“I lost him in the crowd while I was dancing with Toby and Claire,” Eli says with a shrug, finding it far to easy to be around Flinn. Almost too easy. But it was nice as well. No expectations, no past. Nothing. 

“Did you know that a human’s DNA can stretch between Pluto and here 17 times” Eli blurts out when it gets to quiet. 

Flinn laughs. 

“Is that so. Do you always just blurt out random facts when your drunk?” 

“I have no idea, I’ve never gotten this drunk before,” Eli says, fingers tapping gently against the side of his cup. He feels a dopey smile on his face as he looks up at the stars. 

“You're cute you know that Pepperjack,” Flinn says and Eli blinks in shock, turning to Flinn, eyes wide. Sure his misheard it, that Flinn had said something else entirely and his alcohol addled mind had heard something completely batshit insane. 

“Your joking right?” He gets out. 

“No, I’m being a 120% serious” 

“That’s impossible” 

“Of course it’s not, your funny and smart and…” 

“No I mean you can’t do anything at 120 percent it’s impossible,” Eli says quickly and Flinn laughs. Loudly, so loud that Eli jumps. 

He can see the roof of Flinn’s mouth as his head is tipped back, hand on his stomach. 

“As I was saying, your funny and I would like to take you on a date sometime,” Flinn says once his regained some composure. 

“A date?” Eli asks stupidly. 

“Yeah. A date. You know to go see a movie, something like that” Flinn explains and Eli looks for some pointer that Flinn is joking, that this is a prank and that someone is recording it. 

But he finds nothing but sincerity. The other people in the backyard completely ignoring them. 

“I’ll think about it” He finally says. 

“Alright cool, now up you get. Think you're drunk enough to play beer pong with me?” 

“You're going to lose if I’m on your team” 

“Oh well. Guess I better do good for the both of us” Flinn says wrapping his arm around Eli’s shoulder and for some reason, it feels wrong…off but Eli can’t place why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have the next like three chapters already written out. I actually feel ahead for once!


	9. A Drunk Eli.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli is so gonna regret this.

Eli was right, he was terrible at beer pong but Flinn didn’t seem to mind. Taking shot after shot on his behalf. 

They were playing against Sherman and another guy who Eli wasn’t so sure was from their school but had been dubbed Steamroller. 

Eli also found everything funny. Absolutely everything, even jokes he would normally find to stupid he laughed at. 

“Ahh, I see we have a giggler on our hands. How you going, Eli?” Jim asks appearing at his side, arm wrapping around his shoulder. 

Jim was very drunk. Like stupid, every word is a slurred mess drunk but Eli couldn’t really talk. He was having trouble supporting the bigger boy, most of Jim’s weight on him. Crushing him slowly. 

“I’m good, you look trashed dude,” He says and Jim smiles at him widely.   
“I feel it, oh are we playing Beer pong. I’ll play” Jim says pulling himself off Eli. He sucks in a breath of relief. A few more seconds and they both would have hit the floor. 

“CLAIRE, Baby! Come and play!” Jim yells over the other people and the music. Even though Claire was only just in the doorway. She rolls her eyes but comes over, her smile not very well hidden. 

“Please tell me you’ve at least had one drink, Nunez?” Flinn says, setting up the cups again and pouring something amber into them. 

“Five, I just unlike Jim can handle it.” She says and Jim pouts at her. 

“I can handle it” 

“Suuure you can,” Claire says pulling Jim down to kiss him. 

They don’t end up playing with Jim and Claire. The pair instead finding each other’s tongues far more interesting. Instead, Darcy and Mary play, her beau from before apparently gone.

By the end though Eli feels ill. Fire burning in his throat and his brain at like 40% it’s normal capacity. Everything feeling slowed down and groggy. 

“Dude, I think it’s time we sit down and get some water into you,” Flinn says stabilising him when he nearly ends up on his ass. 

“Thamight…” Eli finds all his words hard to get out so he just nods. His suddenly being pulled back into the lounge room and through the crowd of bustling people and then into the kitchen. It’s quieter in here. 

A couple mashing mouths in the corner. A few people curled around the punch bowl, talking. It’s almost too mundane compared to across the hallway. Flinn steers Eli towards the counter before grabbing a clean solo cup and filling it with water. 

“Drink up. Or else you are gonna feel like absolute crap tomorrow morning” Flinn says softly, pressing the cup into his hand. 

Eli drinks quickly, the water refreshing and it does seem to clear his head a little. Makes his stomach stop feeling so ill. They just sit there in silence. The noise of the house washing over Eli as he tries to gain back some brain power.

“I think I’m fine now,” He says going to slip off the counter. He hits his feet and stumbles. 

Flinn catches him before he hits the floor, arm wrapping around his chest and hitting the bruise. Eli grunts in pain. 

“Shit are you ok?” Flinn asks and Eli nods, rightening himself. Flinn letting him go. 

“Yeah, just a sore spot that’s all” He mumbles, rubbing the spot on his chest. 

“What happened?” 

“Air hockey got a little rough.” He says with a shrug. Flinn looks sceptical. 

“PEPPERBUDDY!” A voice shouts and Eli turns to see Steve entering the kitchen. Half held up by Shannon and Toby. A bottle of something hanging from his fingers. 

Eli walks over to him quickly, relieving Shannon from being crushed. She flashes him a look of relief. 

Steve completely lets go of Toby as well and Eli grunts under the weight.   
“Jesus Steve, how much have you had to drink?” He asks. 

“I think at least a keg full,” Toby says shaking his head even though he can’t help but laugh. 

Eli starts pushing Steve towards the counter, surprise filling him when Flinn helps out. Grabbing Steve’s other side and they push him against the counter. 

“Give me this” Eli says wrapping his hand around the bottle in Steve’s hand. 

“But I’m drinking it” Steve pouts tightening his grip on it. Though had he truly wanted to keep it, Eli would have no chance especially with how drunk and unstable he felt right now. 

“No from now on your drinking water. Give” Eli snaps and Steve grumbles but lets it go. 

Toby appears with a cup of water and Steve downs it. That’s when Eli sees it. The look in Steve’s eyes. Completely sober. He was faking. Eli had dealt with sneaking a drunken Steve upstairs many times and Steve didn’t even look the slightest bit tipsy. Hell, he looks like he’d be able to take their Spanish exam. 

“Cool now his sorted, you want to come and dance?” Flinn asks low, his hand on Eli’s arm. 

Eli finds himself nodding before he can really think on it and Flinn beams at him and starts tugging Eli from the kitchen. 

But before they can get far, Eli and Flinn are nearly taken out by Steve.   
“What the hell are you doing?” Flinn groans as he and Eli push Steve back onto his feet. 

“Jeez, sorry about the shirt Hansen. Least, it’s only water” Steve slurs and Eli looks over to see a giant wet patch on Flinn’s shirt. 

“Just watch where you're going Palchuk. You could have hurt Eli” Flinn growls back. 

“I’d never hurt him, his my Peps” Steve grumbles, eyes narrowing into a glare. 

“Really you sure about that? I mean you’ve done it in the past, What’s to stop you from doing it again” 

“I forgave him for all of that. It’s ok, let’s just go and dance” Eli murmurs.   
“You shouldn’t have. He's just gonna go and do it again. He's an abuser just like his fathe…” Flinn doesn’t get to finish that sentence. Instead, he goes reeling backwards into the counter by Steve’s fist. 

The couple breaking away from each other in shock and then swiftly leaving the room.

“STEVE” Eli yells in shock, watching the Thunder crack along Steve’s face. His hands still clenched. Toby and Shannon just blink in shock, mouths hanging open. 

“See what I mean Eli. His no good. He gets slightly angry and takes out his problems through violence!” Flinn says pushing himself straight and rubbing along his jaw. He looks almost pleased with himself. 

“Shut your fucking mouth, Hansen.” Steve seethes, jaw twitching as his shoulders roll. He was trying to contain himself, hold himself back. He was trying not to give into Flinn’s goading. 

“What don’t like that I’m telling the truth. Reminding Eli what a dick you were. Scared he might ditch you and leave you with nobody” Flinn sneers and Eli is shocked by the glee in his eyes. He was enjoying this. 

“He wouldn’t” Steve mumbles through gritted teeth. 

“You’re a blind idiot if you don’t realise that Eli is too good to be your friend. That you don’t fucking deserve him” Flinn growls, getting back in Steve’s face. 

Eli doesn’t know what to say to defuse the situation. If anything he just feels his stomach churning and bile rise in his throat. He doesn’t get a chance though when Steve grabs Flinn and freaking throws him across the room, like a ragdoll. 

Flinn ricochets off the wall and it’s like there’s fire in his eyes. He swings for Steve, catching the blonde on the jaw. Eli turns to Toby but the redhead looks just as lost. Shannon had already fled, maybe to get Mary, maybe just to get away. 

Eli turns back to Steve and Flinn and he gets a really, really stupid idea. But his drunk so he’ll probably blame it on that when he regrets it later. 

He gets in the middle just as Flinn goes to hit Steve in the chest. He feels Flinn’s fist connect with his cheek. His glasses flying off his face. 

“Shit, Eli!” Flinn yells as his vision blurs over. 

Eli feels his stomach churn and before he can stop himself, he loses his stomach. Right over Flinn, himself and the kitchen floor. 

“You're fucking lucky I have him to look after, otherwise I’d rip your head off!” Steve yells, hands fisting in the clean part of Flinn’s jacket, getting in the guy’s face. 

Then suddenly Eli is being picked up. It makes his stomach churn more but he holds it together as he holds his hand to the side of his head. Pain flaring everywhere. 

But just as quickly as he was picked up, his placed on his feet. In what his sure is the downstairs bathroom. 

“Your mum is so gonna kill me” Steve murmurs as his blurry face gets close to Eli’s. 

Eli feels Steve’s fingers press against his cheek and he winces. 

“Uh I have Eli’s glasses, there aren’t broken,” Someone says, by the blur and the voice. Eli believes it’s Toby but he has no idea cause the door closes and the blur is gone. 

Instead, his glasses are getting pressed into his hand. He puts them on and Steve comes into view. Looking completely sober and clear-eyed. Worried if anything. 

“You’re not even drunk” He mumbles. 

“No, I’m not, not even buzzed but you my friend are smashed,” Steve says grinning at him. 

“I played beer pong” Eli explains. 

“Yes, I could hear you, now hands up. We need to get this shirt off, it’s not gonna live” Steve murmurs, voice soft as he grabs the hem of Eli’s shirt. 

Eli follows his instructions and his shirt is throw in the bin. Eli readjusting his glasses. 

“But I don’t have a spare shirt” He points out but Steve already seems to have the answer. Sliding his letterman jacket from his shoulders and helping Eli into it. 

“I think it’s time we get you home,” Steve says ruffling his hair and he nods. 

“That’s a good idea” His words come out slurred and tired sounding. 

Eli blinks in surprise though when Steve grabs his hand, entwining their fingers again. He's pulled from the bathroom and led back down the hallway. His head starting to pound as his stomach seems to finally settle. Is it bad to regret being drunk…when your still drunk? 

Steve is forced to a stop though when Flinn gets in his path. His shirt washed off but definitely stained. He doesn’t look angry but Eli feels Steve tense, hand tightening around his own. 

“I’m so sorry Eli. I di..” 

“Don’t bother” Steve snaps cutting him off and Eli is being pushed past the footballer and out onto the front lawn. 

“It was my own fault. I shouldn’t’ave gotten in the middle” Eli says getting confused by his own tongue. 

“No, it’s not. Flinn’s just an asshole.” 

They walk mostly in silence. Eli letting the cool wind, sober him up a little as Steve has to stabilize him a few times. Never letting go of his hand and Eli feels like his entire arm is tingling. 

But finally, they make it into their street and Eli groans when they get closer to their houses. 

“Mum’s home” He mumbles. Her car parked in the driveway. She would not be happy if he walked in the front door like this. 

“It’s ok, you can just crash at mine.” 

“Lyn won’t like that” He points out. 

“Oh well. She can just deal with it.” Steve shrugs, pulling him towards the blonde's house. 

He pulls Eli out into the backyard and towards Steve’s slightly open window. Steve slides it open and Eli needs help through the window. Steve stopping him from hitting the floor face first, being pulled back to his feet by his jacket. 

“Thanks” He mumbles and Steve flashes him a smile before pushing him towards the bed. 

“Shoes Pepperjack” Steve murmurs low. Eli kicks them off suddenly tired and he sits on the edge of Steve’s bed. 

Steve is once more in his face and in the dark of his room. His eyes seem to almost reflect outside’s minimal light. He looks like a completely different person. The way the shadow’s cast over his face. They make him look more serious and pointier. More grown up. It was odd to think they had been friends for nearly two years now. How much they had both changed.

Steve wasn’t the school bully anymore, he was sweet and charming and had a goal in life. He knew what he wanted and he wasn’t scared to fight for it. 

Eli wasn’t the scared kid either. The one that tried to do anything to appease everybody. He had a backbone now and he stood up for himself. He was more confident and sure of himself and his voice had finally, just finally stopped completely cracking. 

“That’s gonna leave a nasty bruise dude,” Steve says pulling him from his thoughts and makes his twitch when fingers poke his face. 

“I’ve had worse,” Eli says with a shrug, combating a yawn. He catches a glimpse of the time and see’s that it’s only 1 in the morning. Normally Steve was calling him at 3 and begging him to let the drunk in, so he didn’t have to deal with the wrath that is Lyn Palchuk. 

“I know.” Steve murmurs, a small cloud of past regrets passing over his face. 

“I didn’t mean you,” Eli says softly even as he moves up further on the bed and steals Steve’s pillow. Throwing his glasses onto the jock’s side table. Eyes drooping closed. 

“I know” Steve repeats and Eli feels the bed dip and Steve settle behind him. 

His surprised when Steve wraps an arm around Eli’s waist. Pulling him back against a sturdy chest. He doesn’t say anything as he feels Steve let out a breath and words follow. 

“I’m sorry, shouldn’t have let him get to me” 

“It’s ok…” Eli goes to say more, reassure Steve but before he can. He's asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All your comments have left me laughing and so happy. Hopefully, this lived up to what you've been thinking.


	10. Hangover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli's brain hurts.

Eli woke up to yelling. His brain seemingly bouncing off the walls of his skull and making his head pound. He knows the bed is empty and he zones into the yelling in the hallway. 

“Why is he here? In your bed no less!” Lyn yells. It had to be Lyn. 

“He needed a place to crash. Give him a break” Steve grumbles back. Eli only able to hear, since they seemed to be arguing right outside Steve’s bedroom door. 

“He has a perfectly good bed, across the road” She sounds really angry. 

Eli sits up and reaches for his glasses. Eyes squinting as he takes in the sun-filled room, he considers climbing out the window but isn’t sure that’s a good idea. 

“Ms Pepperjack is always working, she’s barely home. Eli gets lonely on his own all the time” Steve says. 

Eli has to give to the blonde he was quick on his feet, and at least a little right. 

“Well next time ask and I’ll set him up on the couch.” 

“Jesus Christ mum, being gay isn’t contagious and you wouldn’t get a say if I was anyway” Steve spits. 

Eli is surprised by the viciousness in Steve’s voice and for a second, he wonders if his had it all wrong. If Steve wasn’t straight but then he catches sight of the calendar on the back of Steve’s door and he gives a quiet laugh. If Steve wasn’t straight Eli would eat his journal. 

“I just, it’s not right. It’s sinful,” Lyn says quieter but Eli still hears it. 

Not the first time he’s heard it, definitely won’t be the last. But it definitely stung a little coming from Lyn. From his best friends’ mother. 

“You sound just like Dad” Steve snarls. Eli hears skin connect with skin and Lyn’s voice raised to a high pitch shout. Eli flinches. 

“Don’t you dare mention him, not in this house!” 

Eli hears footsteps and Steve’s door opens a few seconds later. The blonde slinking in and slamming his door closed. 

“How much of that did you hear?” He asks softly, coming over to Eli and sitting down beside. 

His cheek was bright red and he looks like he hadn’t been up that long. Hair still all over the place. 

“Most of it. I’m sorry, I didn’t want to cause you any trouble with your mum” He says turning instead to look at the floor. 

Eli realises he was still wearing Steve’s Letterman jacket. Arms too short for the sleeves really and all he could smell was Steve’s stupid overpowering deodorant and like oil or petrol. Something Carish

But before either of them can say anything, Steve’s door opens again and Steve tenses. Only to relax when coach pokes his head in. 

“Hey boys, Food’s ready come and eat” 

They both nod and Coach disappears. 

Eli slides off the bed onto his feet and he follows Steve down the hallway and into the small kitchen. 

“Your mother has gone for a drive,” Coach says before digging into his own meal. 

Eli’s stomach grumbles and then churns at the sight as he sits down. Pancakes and bacon. 

“You gonna do some more work on the car today?” Coach asks. 

Eli zones out of the conversation as they both talk about Steve’s car, instead choosing to drown his food in maple syrup and butter. 

“Jeez dude, you gonna have some pancakes with that?” Steve asks, teasing. Knocking his knee against Eli’s. 

Eli just glares at Steve and the blond turns back to coach. Talking about Carburettor or a radiator or something. Eli kinda lost track the minute he wraps his mouth around food. 

Coach was such an amazing cook. Or maybe Eli was just hungover. Either way, his food is gone in mere minutes. Steve and Coach not far behind. 

“Well, I’ll leave you boys to it,” Coach says putting his plate in the sink and ruffling Steve’s hair. 

“Dad!” Steve whines trying to fix his hair. Coach chuckles and leaves the room. The front door opening and closing a few minutes later and his car starting up. 

“How you feeling Peps?” Steve asks throwing both their plates in the sink. 

“Like my head is pounding.” He murmurs and Steve chuckles. 

Steve returns with liquid gold and Eli thanks him before sipping at his coffee. They sit in silence for a while, Eli regretting all over last night. Well, that’s a lie, not all of last night. He did have fun before Flinn went all…assholey. And his chest felt warm every time he remembered the soft way Steve took care of him. The way he was pulled back against Steve’s chest. 

He looks up only to see Steve seemingly trying to stare into his soul and he nearly hits the roof. 

“You right there Buttsnack?” Steve asks, a smile gracing his face. 

“Yeah. Just thinking I need a shower. I’m gonna head home” He says before downing the rest of his coffee. 

“Sure. Say hi to Ms P for me” Steve says, flashing teeth at Eli. 

Eli practically bolts from Steve’s house after that and across the road. So glad that they only lived across the street from each other. He remembers the days he would wait for Steve to leave first so the blond wouldn’t catch him and pummel him to bits. Just for being there. Or leave way to early for school and then have to hide out when the blond got there. 

Eli was so happy those days were over and that things like last night had a chance of happening. 

He opens the door. 

“Hey honey, how was last night?” His mother asks from the couch. 

Eli sighs, he didn’t even look to see if her car was in the driveway. He really didn’t want to deal with his mother and her questions right now. 

“Uh fine. I’m gonna go have a shower” He says quickly before fleeing upstairs. 

His shower is refreshing and he finally gets the horrid lingering taste of alcohol out of his mouth. He glances in the mirror as he gets dressed into his own clothes. Almost considering. Just considering slipping it back and acting like a crazy person for a while. But he doesn’t. He instead throws it on his bed to return to Steve later. 

Eli has sat maybe five minutes at his desk when his mother enters his room. Sans knocking of course, because it was his mother. And she never knocked. 

He wonders if she would ever learn. 

“So, may I ask where the black eye came from?” Is the first thing she says. He should have known about it coming really. The woman was like a hawk, or maybe she was just psychic but she always knew when he was hurt. 

“Would you believe me if I said I actually tripped,” Eli asks, not even turning to look at her. He didn’t like lying to his mother, especially when he had to look her in the actual face. 

“No probably not. Was it Steve?” 

“No mum. God no! It wasn’t him.” Turning to her feeling angry. Hating that she can’t just let the past go. He had and he was the one that was practically tortured. Steve had made up for it in about a million ways. 

“Then who was it?” His mother says, coming over to him and sitting on the edge of the bed. He sighs, rubbing his eyes and adjusting his glasses. Wincing as pain once more flashes through his head. 

“Just another friend. Him and Steve don’t get on. I got in the way. My own stupid fault” He says. Figured telling a half-truth was better than lying…or telling her the whole entire truth.

April Maria Pepperjack may be an amazing woman, but even she might not be able to handle the fact that mythical creatures are real and that Steve Palchuk (The boy she had decided to hate for the rest of her life) was turning into a werewolf in two weeks. Well like 14 days. Eli didn’t think that would go over well. 

“Well, maybe you should just stick with Steve for the moment then. Having one troublesome boy around is enough let alone two” 

“Steve’s not troublesome mum” Eli sighs. At least not in the way she was thinking. 

“Maybe not anymore but still. I know you don’t want me to ask or pry but was this fight over you?” 

The laugh that comes from Eli’s mouth is genuine and before he can stop himself. It’s all coming out. 

“I honestly have no clue. Steve’s been acting a little weird lately and his been getting closer recently. Clinger? At least, I think. I mean I don’t know. His straight so like…it’s stupid anyways…but then last night I was hanging out with this other guy and I’m sure I’m just crazy but I swear Steve was almost jealous. It was probably like platonic jealousy though. Is that even a thing? It has to be right because he wouldn’t be jealous over me and I-I…” Eli finally gets his tongue under control long enough to stop his words. Out of breath from his giant, stupid monologue. 

It’s like one of those suitcases, that’s so jammed full of stuff that you have to actually sit on it to get it to close and even then, it still looks like it could burst at any moment. Like zippers won’t quite hold and then you're just left with clothes everywhere. 

Eli’s almost thankful that his mother is used to holding in and hiding her emotions. He wonders why he missed out on that gene. Her lips are a little pursed and she pushes her glasses up her nose but it wasn’t an angry purse. More like a thoughtful one. Like she was thinking of what to say. How to tell her son that he was a lunatic, in love with a straight boy and that he was right. It was probably only just like Platonic Jealousy. 

He was so looking up if that was a thing or not. 

“I’m sure Steve is just stressed about his schooling and his mother. And the fact that you two could be going to different colleges might be difficult for him to wrap his head around, so he might be trying to get as much time with you now before you both leave and become…adults. So, seeing you hanging out with someone else, might have hit a nerve and you know how volatile Steve can be. Especially when you put his past into perspective” 

That makes sense. He always knew his mother could put it right. Fix things. Explain things so they were clear. Of course, Steve was just being anxious and with the full moon drawing nearer and Eli potentially being the only one who could find a cure. He definitely empathised. 

Suddenly a roar fills the street and Eli is slammed back into his nightmare. The roar that the Varulv had made before ripping the Quarterback in half. He shakes his head though when he realises that it was just Steve’s car. The vehicle sputtering out and dying a few seconds later, Steve’s grumbling filtering in through Eli’s window. 

“What on earth made them think that a loud exhaust was a good thing,” Eli’s mother says, standing and unconsciously running a hand down her shirt. Straightening out imaginary wrinkles. She walks over to him, hand held to the back of his head as she presses a kiss to his forehead. 

“Don’t stress Love. Everything will work out in the end” She murmurs before standing. 

“Oh, this came for you as well. I’m proud of you,” She says throwing a large envelope at him. He scrambles to catch it and his eyes widen. 

“Stanford?” He asks and his mother smiles at him before disappearing from the room. 

Eli rips open the packet and scans over the words. His heart beating out of his chest. After everything going on these past two weeks. Eli had forgotten about Collage and applications and the fact that letters would be arriving soon. 

He may have let out a small, inhumane sound of joy when he realised that it was an acceptance letter. 

Eli sets it on his desk to deal with later though and he tries for at least a minute to try and get some more work done. But he hits a brick wall and he can’t be bothered fighting his brain so he grabs Steve’s jacket and his sketch pad and heads downstairs

His mother asleep on the couch, paperwork scatted over the coffee table and floor. Her computer still open on her chest. 

Eli moves over to her and takes the computer off her lap. Saving her document and closing it, setting it on the coffee table. Then he removes her glasses and sets them on top. He remembered when he was younger and she would win a case and would come home with a giant tub of mint chocolate ice cream that they would both eat until they felt sick. They hadn’t done that since his dad left though. 

Eli shakes his head and heads across the road. He kicks Steve gently in the leg and sits down on the spare tyre not too far away. Steve appears a few seconds later from under the car and Eli mentally groans. Steve was just out to get him at this point. Actually, kill him. 

Steve was shirtless and slightly sweaty. His hair falling over his face gently as he throws Eli a carefree smile. Eli’s eyes catch something though and he chews the inside of his cheek. 

“Your scars are looking good.” He says. 

Steve nods, right hand moving to rub across the silvery lines. They really did look good. No puckering or redness. 

“You would think it happened months ago” Steve points out and Eli nods. 

“How’s the car going?” Eli asks only to regret it. 

“Well, she’s still running rough, still getting black smoke from the exhaust. So, something with the spark plug isn’t right and there’s way too much fuel in the engine. So, I have to…” Eli finally cuts his best friend off. 

“Uhh cool, can I get that translated to English” 

“That is English dork. Basically. I need to loosen the bolts and time the distributor right and then she should be pretty much good to go. Hopefully. If Coach doesn’t find anything else wrong with her” 

“Cool. Then you can start driving it right. Like for real?” 

Steve nods, wiping his forehead on the back of his arm and smearing oil over his skin in the process. He had changed since this morning. Now he was just wearing old, ratty jeans. A hole torn in the knee. And based on the way his hair was slicked back. He had a shower before he had started. Which really in Eli’s point of view was just redundant if he was gonna just have to have another one after he was done. 

He ends up flipping open his sketchpad. Pencil slowly starting to draw out the outline of the car. Steve’s frame half bent over. Eli still had trouble with side profiles but stuff like this was good practice and Steve wasn’t the only one in his sketch pad. 

There were images of Toby, Jim and Clare. Mary and Darcy. Even those transfers. Aja and Krell. Eli never found out what was so weird about them but his sure he’ll figure it out one day. Even Aaarrrgghh and Blinky were in his books. Marked as creatures of imagination of course. 

But even then, Steve was still the main feature. It wasn’t Eli’s fault he had such a nice face to draw. Or body. Or hands. Eli shakes his head to stop his thoughts from going down that path and instead focus on sketching in more detail for the car. 

It’s windows. The popped open bonnet. The door handles. Steve would be the last thing he would finish. So that way he could at least like the picture before he ruined it with a crappy side profile. 

“You ever gonna actually do anything with the art you draw, or just hoard it for the rest of your life?” Steve asks making Eli jump. 

“Hoard it. Who would want to buy your stupid face anyways” Eli says and Steve rolls his eyes even as the corner of his mouth tilts up? 

“Everybody Pepperjack. Who wouldn’t want a picture of me? I mean have you seen me?” Steve says cockily. Gesturing to himself with one muck covered hand.

“True. True. I mean I’ve always wanted to put a clown on my wall. Like one of those really sad ones, but I’m sure I can just put up your picture instead and get the same effect” Eli says trying to contain his own laughter. 

“That’s not funny” Steve huffs and that’s when Eli remembers Steve’s very distinct fear of clowns. Which just makes him laugh harder. 

His right of course. The car turns out amazing, Steve’s profile though not so much. It’s like Eli can’t get the proportions right. Steve’s chest is too broad, his arms almost too small. 

“Would you like me to pose for you?” Steve asks, flexing and winking when Eli growls under his breath, rubbing out the jock for the fourth time. 

“Bite me” Eli grumbles, getting preceding more frustrated. 

“Might turn you if I do, and I don’t think I could deal with a paranoid werewolf” Steve points out. Trying to make light of the ever looming situation.

Eli hadn’t thought of that. Steve had been bitten. He had no idea how that part worked. Would any bite work. Like if Steve bit someone now. Would that person turn? Or is it only on a full moon during the shift. All questions that Eli would have to somehow find the answer to. If there even was an answer out there. 

Eli had poured over books upon books. And he still hadn’t found anything. Nothing and the days were getting closer. What if the cure needed to be taken before his first shift? What if when he turned that was it. He was stuck like this forever. Stuck a monster and Steve had always been trying to escape the violent part of his life. But now this part was always going to be violent. He could never escape it if Eli didn’t find a cure. 

“ELI!” Steve yells and Eli looks up to see the blond right in his face. Staining the sleeves of Eli’s shirt from where the blond was holding him. He blinks and shoves his glasses up his nose. “You were shaking. And I thought you were about to stab yourself in the leg with your pencil” 

“Oh sorry. Was just thinking” He murmurs softly. Steve’s face softens. 

“About what. You have to let me in. Let me help. This is about the Var…werewolf stuff, right?” 

Eli nods. 

“Just what if you need a cure before the first shift.”

“Eli” 

“You’ve been trying to get away from everything...” 

“Eli!” 

“that your dad forced in your head and now your literal….” 

“Elijah Leslie Pepperjack!” 

“ly turning into a monster and…” 

Eli’s world stops. 

Steve’s lips were on his, Steve’s hand on his jaw. It was like one of those cliché romance movies except that it was happening to him. This shouldn’t be happening. Steve was straight. STEVE WAS STRAIGHT! And Eli isn’t sure he should even be enjoying this. Because he definitely was enjoying this but also, he probably shouldn’t be. Oh, God. This wasn’t how he wanted things to go. 

Steve pulls back a few seconds later and Eli’s mouth falls open. Words trying to formulate. 

“We’re gonna be ok. But only if you stay sane on me. I need you or I’m not gonna make it through this in one piece.” Steve murmurs softly and Eli takes in the words sure but it doesn’t sound like a lick of English. 

“You just?” He finally gets out and Steve nods, clearing his throat and leaning back. Hand’s leaving Eli’s body. 

“I did but you wouldn’t shut up so...” 

“Right yes of course. Uh sorry. I think I need to go. I still have to try and get my thesis finished” Eli stammers standing and forcing Steve to stand and move back. 

“Eli…” Steve starts but Eli’s already running home…ok, not running. More just a very fast, paced walk. His heart thumping out of his chest and his lips practically tingling. It had just been to get Eli to shut up. That was all. Steve had said so himself. 

“Elijah?” His mother calls groggily but he ignores her. Throwing out a measly. “I’m fine” 

He heads for his bedroom but stops when he sees the bathroom door still open and he catches himself in the mirror. He floats like a ghost towards the counter and runs a hand first over the black eye. It wasn’t that bad. Flinn had just clipped him mostly. 

His fingers move down his face and he runs them across his lips. Just a way to get him to shut up. That’s all it had been. It was better than being punched. Way…way better. 

He washed the oil and grime off his jaw and arms. Wiping away traces of Steve and he retreats to his room. Throwing his glasses from his face and flopping face first on his bed. Letting out a muffled cry of frustration. 

Why can’t this be easy? Why couldn’t he just say yes to Flinn last night? Everything was all of a sudden happening. Flinn apparently liked him. Steve was getting jealous. Platonically jealous but still. What the hell was Eli supposed to think after that kiss though? 

It was all too much. He reaches for his phone and calls the only person he can think to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little longer then I meant it to be. But couldn't find a good place to cut that wouldn't make either side to short.


	11. *Insert Cheesy Chapter Title Here*

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Which Eli is really, really fine with"

Eli dials Claire and she picks up straight away. 

“Hey, Eli, What’s up? How you feeling after last night?” She asks. 

“Like I want to throw my own brain out of the window” He mumbles, turning his head to the side so she can’t at least have a chance of understanding him. 

“How’s Steve?” Claire presses and before Eli can stop it. His once more stammering out a giant, explanation. How sweet Steve had been, his fight with Lyn. Pancakes and Bacon, and the kiss. 

“You need to just wait. You know how long it takes Steve to realise his own feelings. Once he figures it out. He’ll tell you the answer. Until then be patient.” 

Eli nods and they talk for a few more minutes. Eli really doesn't want to be patient. He wants to demand answers but he knows that will get him absolutely nowhere so he rolls over onto his back as he hangs up and lets his eyes un-focus and go even blurrier. Until his not taking in anything and just trying not to think. 

So much had been happening lately and he wasn’t sure when he had just taken a moment. To do absolutely nothing. 

Suddenly his phone dings though, pulling him from his bubble of nothing. He reaches for his phone and glasses. Surprise dashing through him when he realises that he’d been staring at his ceiling for the past hour. Sun starting to set outside his window. Casting his room in an orange glow. 

He looks at the screen, expecting it to be Steve. Or Toby with some stupid meme. What he gets makes him sigh and want to go back to his nothingness bubble. 

“Hey it’s Flinn, I might have convinced Toby to give me your number and I really, really want to apologize. I’m so sorry about last night. I was drunk and stupid and I shouldn’t have said the things I did…or hit you. I want to make it up to you though. If you’ll let me. I’ll do anything” 

Eli considered for a second to ignore the jock. For what he had done, for the fact that Eli’s entire face ached. But his to nice of a person and he sighs deeply again as he picks up his phone and types out a message. 

“What you did wasn’t right. Steve already deals with enough crap on his plate. He doesn’t need to be reminded of his father. So if you want us to be friends. I want you to apologize to Steve on Monday. And the whole hitting me thing was kinda my fault. Shouldn’t have gotten in the middle” 

Eli is shocked when he gets a message back so quickly.

“Of course. I’ll even bring the guy flowers if you want. I really am sorry Eli. How’s the damage by the way? Your face I mean. I didn’t break anything did I?” 

“I’m not that delicate. Just looks like I went a round or two with a brick wall. It’s fine, the hangover hurt worse. Also sorry about throwing up on you” 

“It’s ok, I think I kinda deserved it. Good thing I didn’t like that shirt anyways. :P” 

Eli finds himself giving a quiet laugh. 

His mother barges into his room again. In her PJs this time. 

“Don’t stay up to late love” She murmurs. 

He nods and she blows him a kiss before disappearing to her own room. Her door snicking shut a few seconds later. Eli looks back to his phone and laughs under his breathe. It was just that stupid penguin meme. 

“Askes a guy out, punches him in the face instead” 

“Well, you definitely know how to make an impression” Eli types back. 

“Ha Punny” 

Eli feels his stomach grumble then and he slides off his bed and creeps downstairs. He heats up leftovers and eats while sitting on the counter. Texting Flinn as he does so. It felt good, for once not having this looming presence of monsters and Creeps and trolls. 

It felt good to talk about colleges and future plans, about Senior Uhl being scary and everything else they could think of. 

It was just nice to be able to talk about anything. To be a normal teenager with nothing to worry about. 

Turns out Flinn wasn’t actually heading down the Football path. At least that wasn’t his main goal. He was actually looking at trying to become a doctor of all things. Eli tried imagining Flinn in scrubs. 

Suddenly his phone rings and it’s Flinn. So Eli answers it. 

“Sorry I couldn’t handle texting anymore and I also kinda wanted to hear your voice. Creepy right” Flinn says and Eli can’t help but give a small chuckle. 

“Just a little bit but that’s ok. Also, I’m sure the nurses are going to have a tough time doing their job if you're constantly around” 

“Is that so, see I knew you thought I was hot” Flinn says, laughter mingling into his very voice. Eli burns red. 

“N-o No that’s not what I meant at all. I-I…” He lets out a huff and facepalms.

“It’s ok Pepperjack you can admit I’m hot. I won’t tell anybody” 

“I refuse, your ego is too big already. If I say anything else your head might actually explode” He says, finally pushing himself off the counter. A grin fighting to form on his face.

“Ego? What Ego? I’m perfectly humble thank you” Flinn says as Eli treks up his stairs, trying not to disturb his mother. Though she was probably still up, watching some drama or reading one of her many romances. 

“Sure, sure. Humbles not the word for it but whatever makes you sleep at night” 

“I’m sure I’d sleep better if you were here,” Flinn says so smoothly it almost hurts to hear. Eli sucks in air so quickly, he nearly chokes. Face burning even more as he closes his bedroom door with a little too much force. 

He hears a knock though and he whips his head around only to yelp when Steve was frowning at him through his window. 

Eli heads over to him and slides open the window. He holds the phone away from his ear. 

“Ok, how the hell did you get up here?” He asks. 

“I jumped” Steve grumbles before sliding into the room and closing his window with a little more force than necessary. 

Before Eli can point out the fact that Steve shouldn’t have been able to jump that high. Steve is snatching his phone off him. 

“Hey, Hansen. Do me a little favour? Lose Eli’s number or I’ll make sure to do a little more than land a few punches next time” Steve snarls before hanging up and throwing Eli’s phone onto the bed. 

“What the hell!” Eli snaps. 

“I should be saying the same thing. Did he hit you that hard? That you forgot what he did, how much of a dick he is?” Steve growls back. 

“He apologised you moron and I don’t get what your problem is with him anyway. Come on Steve what’s so bad about the guy? You used to be an asshat, and I forgave you!” Eli yells, voice rising to a high-pitched tone. Throwing his arms in the arm. Wanting more than anything to hit the Blond for the years of confusion he caused Eli. 

Why the hell did Steve have to make this so hard? Why the hell couldn’t he just tell Eli outright how he felt. 

“Because he's gonna take you away from me!” Steve yells back. Eli’s thoughts slam to a holt and his anger poofs out of existence. 

“Oh, Steve” Eli murmurs surging forwards and wrapping his arms around his best friends’ waist. “I’m not going anywhere” 

“I just can’t lose you. I need you too much Peps” Steve whispers, his own arms settling around Eli and caging him in. Steve’s forehead resting against Eli’s hair as he lets out a deep breath. 

“You’re my best friend. I’m not going anywhere” 

“You say that but I heard you and your mum talking about Stanford. There’s no way I’m getting a scholarship there. So you’ll go off and be amazing and become whatever you want. And I’m still gonna be here. I’m gonna end up a dead beat just like my dad” 

“Your nothing like your Dad and your definitely aren’t going to end up like him. You're going to get a scholarship to a great college with a great football program and your gonna become a famous footballer and I’m going to be on the sidelines cheering you on. Or else I’m just gonna have to kick your butt” 

Steve huffs out a laugh. 

“Like you could.” 

Eli pulls back as far as he can with Steve still clinging to him. 

Steve looks Eli in the eye. His eyes seemingly trying to bore into Eli’s. 

“I really like you Eli” Steve whispers. 

“I-I would hope so I mean we’re best friends” Eli stammers out. Heart starting to pick up speed and he knows that with how close Steve is, he definitely hears it. 

“I’m not joking,” Steve says, a look of complete seriousness on his face.

Eli’s swallows the lump building in his throat. Oh god. He might actually faint when he feels Steve’s hand drag up his back and settle between his shoulder blades. Steve’s face gets closer, his eyes searching Eli’s. A silent question that leaves Eli’s head twitching before he can even think about it. 

It’s slower this time. Softer and Eli doesn’t quite freak out this time. Instead, his fingers curl in Steve’s shirt and he lets himself take this moment. Before real life crashes back in and decides to ruin this for him.

At least the books and movies got one thing right. Eli isn’t certain how long passes. It could have been a century for all he cared. But finally, all good things must come to an end and Steve pulls away. 

But not completely away. They’re still breathing the same air. Steve’s forehead pressed against his.

“I-I’m sorry I froze before. I just freaked myself out, I was hit with the thought that this was real. My feelings for you were real. And if it was real, then that meant you could say no.” Steve breathes softly. 

“I don’t think that’s possible. I’ve been crushing on you since…since that first night, we went Creepslaying.” Eli points out. 

How happy he had been to have Steve on his side for once. For them to be working together on something. And then when Steve promised to never tell anybody Eli’s middle name. It was like something had just bloomed in Eli’s chest and had been stuck there ever since. 

Then it hits him and he feels like whatever happy moment was just ruined. 

“This isn’t some Varulv thing, is it? Like it hasn’t made your brain all screwy?” He asks, pulling away from the blond. Searching for the truth in those warm, brown eyes. 

“No. I liked you a long time before the bite. If anything, it made me confident enough to take a chance.” 

Eli feels relief flood him and a little surprised, but at this point that might be a permanent state of mind. When has Steve ever been lacking confidence? 

“Lyn is so gonna kill me” Eli blurts before he can stop himself, and Steve laughs. 

“She’ll just have to learn to deal because I’m not letting you go anywhere,” Steve says ruffling Eli’s hair before looking sheepish. “You don’t mind if I crash here. She’s still on the warpath?”

“Of course,” Eli says, not really ready to let the blond go just yet. Even if it was just across the road. 

“Thanks,” Steve says before falling onto Eli’s bed and snagging Eli’s waist as he goes. 

Eli yelps as his yanked along for the ride. Landing sprawled over Steve. He sits up quickly and flushes as the predicament that Steve’s put him in. He was straddling the blond’s waist. Steve was snickering under his breath. 

“What’s wrong Pepperjack?” He asks. Doing that annoying smirk that makes Eli’s heart trying to beat out of his ribcage. 

“You’re an idiot” Eli grumbles, fixing his glasses.

“I’m your idiot” Steve points out and Eli has trouble containing his smile as he rolls his eyes.

“I am right? Is this something you want Peps? I mean I wasn’t the easiest guy to date before-hand. How are you gonna go with dating a monster?” Steve asks softly, eyes looking anywhere but Eli. His hands catching Eli’s own and entwining their fingers. 

“You’re not a monster. You just have a…small problem. We’ll figure out ways to deal with it. Cure or not, I’m with you” Eli says and he is pulled down and kissed again. Just a quick peck but it still makes him feel like he's floating on air. 

“Good” Steve murmurs. 

They talk about anything and everything afterwards. The new Killabots movie coming out. Collage. Creepslaying. 

“When did you realise?” He asks softly. He had moved to lay beside Steve. Steve seemingly refusing to take his hands-off Eli. Which Eli was really, really fine with.

Eli lets out a small laugh before he can stop himself. 

“What?” Steve asks. 

“Nothing. It’s cute. Didn’t know what was an adjective to use around you” Eli says only to yelp when Steve’s pinches his side. 

“I’m very cute thank you” Steve grumbles. 

“Yeah maybe to a blind person” 

“Good thing you're blind then,” Steve says and Eli rolls his eyes, struggling to contain his laughter. 

He felt giddy and just plain happy. It was nice and for a single minute, Eli didn’t even think about the fact that Steve was turning in 12 days and he still hadn’t found a cure. 

Instead, he falls asleep, Steve drawing patterns on his hip. His blurry face the last thing that Eli sees.

Eli wakes to Steve’s head on his stomach and last night comes flooding back. Eli’s face fills with a smile.

“What you thinking about?” Steve asks scaring the crap out of him. Eli smacking his jock on the head in reflex. 

Steve chuckles as he turns his head to look at Eli. Completely blurry but Eli was just vaguely reminded of one of those glass pictures. 

“I heard your breathing change. Varulv thing” Steve explains. Interesting and slightly creepy but not something Eli wanted to focus on right now. 

“Did last night happen, or am I in a coma on the kitchen floor?” He asks. 

“Last night definitely happened. You still ok with it?” Steve asks, grabbing his hand and pulling it towards the blond’s head. Eli scratches his fingers against Steve’s skull, enjoying the feel of his hair. 

“Sure as long as there’s no camera’s around and I’m not on a prank show” Eli’s thoughts deciding they apparently didn’t want to be filtered today. 

“No cameras, no show. I promise.” 

“Then I’m so on board” Eli mumbles still fighting off sleep. Eyes drifting shut for a few more seconds. Until his door bursts open and he has his second heart attack of the day. 

“I made waffles!” April Pepperjack says with too much joy in her voice. “Oh hey Steve” 

“Hey Mrs P,” Steve says, not even moving a muscle. Eli is certain a dopey smile is on Steve’s face. 

“I will make more waffles then…” Eli’s mother says turning and walking out his door. “though I really should have known” 

Eli rolls his eyes and finally reaches for his glasses. The world sharpening as Steve gets up. But before Eli can get up himself. His being thrown onto a broad shoulder. 

“STEVE” He yells as his boyfriend laughs. 

Boyfriend. Wow, that was a word he never thought he’d ever get to think. 

Especially not about Steve Palchuk. The very word makes him a giddy mess and his glad that Steve can’t see the grin that appears on his face. 

“What, you would have taken to long and I’m starving” Steve chirps making Eli groan when every step sends a shoulder into his stomach. 

“You're not supposed to torture me” He groans. 

“Oh but I am. It’s in the job description baby” Steve says as he bounces down the stairs like an excited Labrador. The irony. 

Eli hides his hands in his face as his sure steam actually bubbles from his ears. 

“You’re the worst!” He groans. 

“Yep,” Steve says and Eli is being put on his feet at the bottom of the stairs. Steve steadies him as his blood flows back out of his head and his steered towards the kitchen. 

There was no paperwork anywhere. Her laptop nowhere in sight. 

“You actually have a day off?” Eli asks. His mother nods, humming under her breath. The waffle iron sizzling. A large stack already sitting on a pan in the oven, being kept warm. 

“Set the table boys” She orders before returning to her humming. 

They do so in silence. Just content to let the Sunday morning roll over them. The sun still steadily rising and filling the kitchen with warmth. They all sit down once the last waffle is cooked and all goes well, they eat in silence. But a content silence. Steve taking down half the stack on his own.

Eli was on his last few bites when his mother drops a bombshell. 

“So what are your intentions with my son?” 

Eli inhales the chunk of waffle so quickly that it gets lodged in his throat and he starts choking. Steve seems a little shocked but gets it together quick enough, to smack Eli on the back and save him from having a grave with the words. “Died by Waffle” 

He groans, rubbing a hand over his eyes and wanting to sink into the floor.

“I really like Eli, Ms P. Have for a while and I promise that if I break his heart. You get the first hit” Steve says, looking completely sincere. 

“Sounds good to me.” She says standing, dumping her plate in the sink and disappearing. 

Eli turns to Steve, lungs still burning. 

“You should have me let me die”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could not wait a week to post this. Also sorry to all my lactose-intolerant readers for all of the cheese. So much cheese. 
> 
> SONG OF THE CHAPTER. Or at least the song I listened to a million times while writing this thing was Right Now by Kios. You should check it out. It's very indie, highschool crush. I love it.


	12. Mondays

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are looking up for once.

Sunday passes far too quickly after Eli gets past the embarrassment that is breakfast. And Steve finally has to go home. Lyn summoning him. Steve doesn’t leave before kissing Eli in a way that makes his face burn and his lips tingle. 

“Pick you up tomorrow ok” Steve murmurs before turning and walking away. Eli can’t contain his smile. Until he gets back to the lounge room that is. 

“Dear, can I talk to you for a moment?” His mother calls and his happy bubble is burst. 

He sighs but sits on the opposite side of the couch and waits for the lecture. Instead what he get’s surprises him. 

“I’m happy for you but…” Ahh, there it was, “I want you to be careful. I just don’t want him to break your heart.” 

“I know. I’ll be careful. Not like I’m planning to marry the guy” Eli says quickly. 

“I’m just looking out for you. You’re my little baby and I couldn’t stand to see you get hurt. Not that I think Steve will but you can never be too careful,” She murmurs grabbing his hand and rubbing her thumb over the back of it. 

“I promise I’ll look out for myself and I’m 17. Not quite little anymore,” Eli points out. 

“Elijah you could be 50, have grandkids of your own and I would still see you as my little tiny baby. It’s what mothers do,” She says flashing him one of those small smiles. Like she can still picture the moment she first held him in perfect detail. 

“Is that all?” He asks. 

His mother sighs. 

“No that’s all. Do some homework and if your grades drop. I am banning that boy from staying over. Or coming within a 100-feet of you! I know how to get a restraining order in under an hour,” She says and he scoffs out a laugh as he stands. Rolling his eyes as he leaves the lounge room.

“Oh and Elijah?” She calls. 

He pokes his head back into the lounge room. 

“I really am happy that I don’t have to be the only one who sees the way that boy looks at you…Like you’re his entire world” She says smiling at him softly. Wistfully. 

Eli wonders for a second if she’s thinking about the start of her and his Father’s relationship when it was all roses and sweetness. He tries to imagine it. His mother and father had only been his age when they had met and fallen in love. How youthful and joyful his father was. How star eyed his overly protective mother would have been. 

He collapses on his bed and grabs his phone. He flicks the screen on and sighs. Three messages from Flinn, all of which he didn’t feel like dealing with right now. A message from Tobes and a Message from Claire. 

Toby was talking about a new burrito that came out, and Claire about a new book she found on Varulv’s that she would bring over to school tomorrow. 

A new one pops up on his phone though and he clicks on it. 

“I miss you” He laughs at the cheesiness of it all even as he types back a text. 

“You’re such a dork. You’re literally across the street” 

“But that’s like so farrrrrr away!” 

“I’m dating an idiot” Eli shoots back not even trying to stop the cheek hurting grin forming on his face. 

“Shh, you like it.” 

He really did. It was like his heart had just exploded over everything and he got what people meant by rose coloured glasses. He also felt deep below that insecurities and anxieties. But he didn’t feel like dealing with those for a moment. 

So, he drags over the first Varulv book he gets his hands on and does a little more research until his eyes start to burn and he gets absolutely nowhere. 

Why couldn’t this be simple? Why couldn’t there just be the words “Varulv Cure” in plain English? Why couldn’t it be something like eating a carrot? Drinking a little holy water. Drinking one of those Hair of Dog drinks. Anything!

Eli finally closes the book when all he comes up with for the fifth time is Varulv’s must be put down on sight.

He rubs his eyes and stifles a yawn. Head falling forwards until his forehead hits the page. Glasses ending up somewhere on the bed beside him during in the night. 

His startled awake by his normal cue. His mother knocking on his door and telling him she was going to work. He reaches for his glasses and sits up, looking at his alarm clock and sighing. She had woken him earlier today. 

But that just meant he had time to shower and eat a decent breakfast. Studying while he did so. There’s finally a knock on the door and a thought hits him like a bullet. Sparking a baby anxiety attack. 

What if Steve wanted to keep Them a secret? Like he did when they first became friends. 

Eli forces himself to suck in a deep breath, grab his bag and stand. Treading for the door, his textbook he was looking over shoved under his arm. 

He opens the door and for a second his brain comes crashing to halt. Steve hadn’t done anything differently. It was his normal blue polo and khakis, hair still parted in that way that Steve liked, his normal smirk in place but it must be those rose-coloured glasses because it makes Eli’s heart twist sharply and his face form an unconscious smile. 

“Hey,” He murmurs. 

“Hey,” Steve replies, voice soft. Eyes even softer as he seemingly takes in everything about Eli before moving closer. 

“May I?” Steve asks and Eli nods, only to be swept away in a kiss. Only a small, quick one but still it leaves him happy.

“I’m so happy I get to do that now,” Steve continues, wrapping his hand around Eli’s own and pulling him out of the house. Eli locks up quickly as he can one handed and is dragged towards Steve’s Vespa. Steve’s letterman jacket laying over the seat. 

“I was thinking, you should totally wear it. Looks better on you anyways” Steve says grabbing it and holding it out to Eli. 

“You sure?” Eli asks hand stuck in mid-air. 

“Very, and it also means that everybody who sees’s you wearing it will know that your mine” Steve says with a shrug, his cheeks turning a warmer shade of red. It was cute. 

“So, we’re telling people?” Eli asks fingers wrapping in the fabric of the jacket. Still uncertain. What if Steve said no. What if Steve didn’t want people to know he was queer. Hell, even he and Eli hadn’t discussed it. 

“Of course, we’re telling people. I mean like they all thought it anyways. May as well tell them they had it right” Steve says and Eli slips the jacket on, returning his bag into place. 

It just felt right and he watches a smile bloom on Steve’s face. His eyes looking down Eli’s frame. 

“Told you it would look better on you,” He says ruffling Eli’s hair. 

The ride to school is nice, and Eli clings a little tighter to Steve. The little voice in the back of his brain that tried to ruin everything, just had one question for him today. How was this gonna ruin itself? 

The pull up to school and before Eli can think about it. Steve is grabbing his hand again, chatting to Eli like it’s a normal day. About their English class. Eli just nods along only to realise that Steve had stopped talking for at least a few minutes. 

He gets pulled to a stop, only to then see there in the hallway. Right next to his locker. Steve had already stopped by his. His textbooks shoved under his arm. 

“Peps are you ok with this. We don’t have to tell anybody if you not ready?” Steve asks, dropping his hand. 

Eli takes a quick, deep breathe and nods. Entering his locker combo and shoving his bag inside. Grabbing his stuff for first period. 

“I’m more than fine with it. I’m just trying to get over the fact that I thought this would never happen. Still waiting to wake up on my kitchen floor from a Redbull overdose” He explains.

“Well I can tell you that this is very real,” Steve says his hands creeping around Eli’s stomach, head coming to rest on his shoulder as his pulled against a broad chest. Steve’s deodorant making his nose twitch a little. 

“Good,” Eli says more to himself then Steve. He closes his locker and Steve steps back a little but doesn’t stop touching. Instead resting a hand on Eli’s hip. 

Eli was used to Steve being touchy even before this but it almost felt like the blond was making up for lost time. 

“Hey, guys…Oh my god. Darcy, you owe me twenty bucks!” Mary says bursting into their space. Darcy not far behind. 

“Hey Mary and why?” Steve asks. 

“Cause, someone didn’t think you’d ever get together. And I so just proved her wrong” Mary says giving Darcy the side eye. Darcy just rolls her eyes but smiles. Steve snickers in Eli’s ear. 

“I’m happy for you two, seriously. You're cute together” Darcy says handing over the money. Mary nods enthusiastically. Like one of those bobbleheads. 

“Thanks, Darc” Eli murmurs even as his face returns once more to redness. 

Before Mary or Darcy can torture Eli any further the first bell rings and they have to dash to class. 

When they enter it’s like every single person’s eyes just flash to them and Eli almost wants to hide behind Steve. But Steve just pushes him along to his seat.

The first half of the day passes easily. Then it all hits the fan at lunch. Well, the end of lunch. The start of lunch is nice even though Steve keeps stealing Eli’s fries. 

“Please tell me we aren’t that disgusting normally” Jim mock-whispers, yelping when Claire nudges him sharply under the table, even though Eli can see the smile on her face. 

“Yes, yes you are,” Toby says sitting down beside them, Darcy sliding in beside him. 

“Oh don’t be jealous Tobias, I’m sure your right-hand loves you very much” Steve coos and Eli laughs before he can stop himself. Jim laughing as well. Steve just looks way to proud of himself but Eli doesn’t have it in him to reprimand his boyfriend. 

“My girlfriend is literally sitting right next to me!” Toby cries, gesturing wildly to Darcy with a French Fry. Darcy rolling her eyes at Toby before stealing the fry off him and eating it. Toby just looks on in horror.

 

Before Steve can retort though, a voice cuts them off. 

“Hey Eli” 

He turns to see Flinn looking at him and Steve. Something close to thunder building behind his eyes and Eli feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Steve’s hand clamping down on Eli’s hip, gently but reaffirming. 

“Hey. What’s up?” Eli asks. Feeling like he was walking on eggshells. Something was off and he wasn’t sure what. 

“I just wanted to make sure you were ok. Since our call got cut off” Flinn says eyes, flicking up to Steve. 

“Yeah, everything’s great. Sorry, Steve never learned manners” Eli says, Steve scoffs in the background. 

 

“Well uh, would we be able to talk for a minute?” Flinn asks almost sheepish. 

Eli glances around the table, seeing everybody just watching silently. Toby’s eyes boring into Eli’s still bruised face. 

He had completely forgotten about it after everything that had happened, but it hadn’t ached that badly. 

“Uh maybe later ok.” He says. He knew if he wanted to, he could have gotten up and told Steve to not be an annoying asshat. But he still just didn’t feel right. Something was itching at the danger metre in his brain. 

Flinn’s eye twitches and his mouth tightens to a thin line. Jaw ticking before he seemingly forces himself to relax. 

“Just five minutes. Please. I want to apologize for the whole uh…” Flinn mutters, gesturing to Eli’s face. 

“You already have. It’s fine. I promise” Eli says trying to stop the situation from escalating.

“I’m not asking for much here. Just five minutes of your time.” Flinn snaps, a hand hitting the table and making Eli jump. 

Eli feels it then, Steve’s chest rumbling and before he can say anything Steve is speaking up. 

“You want to pester my boyfriend. You go through me, Hansen. Got it!” He snaps. 

“B-boyfriend?” Flinn asks, looking like he's been slapped but only for a second before that thunder returns and he looks pissed off. 

“Seriously. Him? Do you not remember all the shit he did to you?” Flinn growls. 

“And I forgave him. Just like I forgave you” Eli says, voice coming out smaller then he means it too.

“I hit you on accident. I never threw you in bins or lockers. I never turned you black and blue for fun!” Flinn yells. 

“No, but you never helped either” Eli says before he can stop himself. 

Yes, Steve made a huge, colossal number of mistakes. Yes, Eli may be an idiot for getting with him. But he also had watched Steve grow and change. Turn into a person that Eli enjoyed being around. That Eli knew had his back when it came down to everything. That Steve was someone who would take turning into a monster every month if it meant that Eli was ok. 

“Seriously you're choosing him over me?” Flinn snarls. 

“Flinn enough ok. Just stop.” Eli says mainly because people were looking at their table. 

“No, not until you see that this is a mistake. That Palchuk is just gonna end up hurting you again” 

“Eli said that was enough. So back off before I put you through this table” Steve snarls standing and Eli turns in time to watch his eyes flash the gold that haunted his dreams. 

“Try it and I’ll make you swallow your teeth” Flinn sneers back. 

Before Eli can stop it, Steve is diving for the other jock. Wrapping his hands around Flinn’s collar and getting in his face. 

“You’ve been a pain in my ass for too long. Now you’re going to listen and you're going to listen good or I’m gonna make the rest of senior year a living hell. And I don’t think you’ll fit too well in a locker. Might have break something” Steve says, voice scarily calm. He meant every single word and Eli feels the hairs on the back of his arms stand up. 

Jim and Toby are standing, not moving but on guard. Eli can see Claire’s hand under the table, probably on her staff. Darcy just seems as stuck as Eli. His completely frozen and left to watch. 

“Bite me Palchuk,” Flinn says back and he even has the audacity to smile. Like he knew something that no one else did. 

Steve seems to tense and start shaking. The way he gets right before he rips into creep and human alike. But instead of raising a fist and slamming it into Flinn’s face. He just shoves the other boy away. Causing Flinn to stumble and look shocked. 

“You’re not worth the effort” Steve scoffs turning away and moving back to Eli’s side. Slumping down on the seat and pulling Eli close. Resting his head on Eli’s shoulder and hugging him close. His chest still rumbling slightly. 

Flinn looks like his head might explode but he finally lets out a huff. 

“You’re an idiot for trusting him. All he's gonna do is turn on you, sooner than you think.” He snaps before running a hand through his hair and storming off. 

“Well that was ominous,” Darcy says and it’s like the tension is broken. Toby and Jim sitting back down. Claire’s hands appearing above the table. 

“You ok Peps, you're shaking a little?” Steve asks low. Just for him to hear.

Eli nods grabbing Steve’s hands so he can try and stop the shaking. Steve just entwines their fingers without saying a word and it calms Eli dramatically. 

“I think you were actually growling by the way. Like animal growling” Eli murmurs. 

Steve shrugs. 

“Just as long as your ok. I don’t care if I start spouting fur right now” 

“I’m ok.” He reassures and Steve completely relaxes against him. Letting out a small breath. 

The bell rings a few minutes later and Steve shuffles Eli to fourth period. Eli didn’t want to deal with Spanish right now. Or Senior Uhl’s overbearingness. But he grits his teeth and deals with it. The class groaning when Uhl throws more homework at them. 

“I’ll pick you up after practice and if anyone gives you shit, call me ok” Steve murmurs at the end of Spanish before giving Eli a chaste peck and running off. His duffle slung over his shoulder. 

“Aww, that’s so cute” Mary coos. Eli rolls his eyes even as he agrees. Claire snags his arm and drags him to AP Science. 

“Is Steve ok?” Claire asks, eyes searching Eli’s once they’re on their own. 

“Yeah, his good. Just got a little growly but no fangs just yet” 

“He held himself back. That was surprising. Thought he was gonna rip off Flinn’s head” Claire says. 

“You’re not the only one.” Eli murmurs still unsure if anybody else was around. 

“I mean that’s good though. If he’s gaining control of his emotions. Might make the uh…Shift easier” 

Eli just nods along unsure what stopped Steve from going ham. But whatever it was. He was grateful. 

They enter into the classroom and Eli runs into someone. He rebounds, Claire, stopping him from ending up on his butt. 

“Watch where you’re going Fag” The person snarls. Eli’s eyes flash up to see Henry. 

Claire goes to start but Eli just pushes her away. Only wanting to deal with one Jock today and that idiot definitely wasn’t the one. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Claire asks when they sit down at their table. 

Eli just shrugs. What was the point? It was only gonna make things escalate to an annoying point. Steve words flash into his brain. 

“It just wasn’t worth it” 

Thankfully the last part of the school day is almost forgettable. Steve’s football practise being called off due to Coach ending up being dragged into to do detention instead. Threatening the football team that if they’re not in for practice twice as early tomorrow morning he’d make them all do suicide runs until their legs fell off. 

Steve drops him home and heads home himself, to and in Steve’s words “Prepare for the nuclear meltdown that is my mother” 

All that came was silence though and Eli gets the reason why a few hours later. 

“She’s decided that she doesn’t want to speak to me. Dinner was fun” 

Eli almost felt guilty. It was technically partially his fault. He was part of the problem, maybe if he told Lyn that it was only an experi… Eli’s distracted by a ding and he grabs his phone. 

“I can practically hear you start to blame yourself. Don’t. I chose this, I chose you. She’ll just have to learn how to deal with the fact this is what I want” 

Eli bites his cheek as he feels even the knot building in his chest loosen. 

“How’d Coach go with it” Eli sends instead trying to change the topic. 

“He cried a little and was very confused. Thought we were already dating. I think he’s already planning the wedding”

Eli huffs out a laugh. 

“Night dork. Sleep well.” Steve texts him a few seconds later. A heart emoji beside it. It was cute, Eli’s face melting into a smile. 

Eli doesn’t take long to fall asleep long after that. His glasses still in place, the book falling on the floor. He really should find a decent sleep schedule one of these days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hooo boy this was a long one. But I like it.


	13. Break A Leg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli reaches his wit's end, Coach asks questions and Steve snaps.

Eli feels a presence in his room, wind blowing in from the window. For a second he thinks it’s his mum. So he opens his eyes to ask her what’s wrong. Instead his heart nearly beats out of his chest. Steve was sitting on his bed, just staring at him. Golden Eyes glowing in the low light of Eli’s room. 

He sits up quickly, reaching for his glasses and jamming them into place. Steve wasn’t wearing a shirt. Just his Khaki’s from earlier today. Eli glances at the time and sees that it’s 3:36 in the morning. Something was very off. 

“Steve?” He finally asks quietly, unsure if he wanted to touch the blond. Those Gold eyes just watching him. Trying to see into his soul it seemed like. The only part of Steve moving was his chest as he breathes slowly. 

Hello horror movie cliché. Eli swallows the lump in his throat and reminds himself that this is just Steve. That this is just his boyfriend and Steve wouldn’t hurt him. 

He reaches out a shaky hand and presses his fingertips lightly against the back of Steve’s hand. Steve whirls his head around to look down at it and he blinks. The glowing fading back to his usual brown. Steve blinks a few times confusion falling over his face as he takes in his surroundings. 

“Eli, what’s going on?” Steve says confused. Eli get’s a flashback of when he found Steve chewing on the steak. Not knowing what had just happened. 

“Uhh. Why am I in your roo…d-did I try anything?” Steve asks panic entering his eyes. Taking in his own shirtless form. 

“Apart from trying to win the major creep award. No. What’s the last thing you remember?” Eli grabs his phone and turns on the flashlight. Only to watch Steve’s eyes flash when the light hits them directly. Like a cat. 

Well that probably wasn’t a good sign. Eli reaches over and turns on his lamp. Steve eye’s once more returning to normal. 

“Uh I was getting ready for bed, mum was still refusing to talk to me and then nothing” Steve explains. 

“When was this?” Eli continues to press as he grabs his journal and his pen. Scribbling down everything. Memory loss, black outs, Cat like glow in the dark eyes. Creepy staring. The whole nine yards. 

“11” Steve says unsure, doing that thing where he rubs a hand through his hair while he tries to think. 

“That was three and a half hours ago.” Eli murmurs, shooting Jim a text explaining what was going on. 

“Have you felt anything else odd. Tooth pain, itchy skin. The want to rip someone apart and eat them alive?” Eli asks, only hoping the last one could remain a joke. 

“No everything else has felt fine. Normal. Well as normal as it gets” 

“The next full moon is only eleven days away. More symptoms are bound to appear. We need to start discussing what we’re going to do?” 

Steve nods even as he looks like he wants to do anything but” 

“But we’ll do that tomorrow. I’m tired and you have been doing who knows what for the last three hours. So I’m sure you need sleep as well” Eli says checking his phone and stifling a yawn. 

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow. It’s gonna be fine” Is all he gets from Jim. 

Steve just nods and he goes to slide off the bed. But Eli doesn’t want to let him out of his sight. Not at the moment. Not after the whole creepy blackout, staring thing. 

“Just stay here.” Eli breathes out flicking off his lamp and pulling off his glasses again. He throws them onto his bed-side table along with his journal and phone. 

“You sure?” Steve asks. 

“I wouldn’t have said anything otherwise” Eli murmurs, getting comfy on the bed. Eyes already falling closed. 

He feels the bed dip and before Steve can say anything else his out. 

The next morning is normal. No creepy Gold Eyed Steve watching him. Just normal, grumpy Steve. 

Seasons were coming up which meant that practise had been bumped up to morning and afternoon. So Steve wasn’t happy about going to school early. But if he wanted his scholarship. 

“You catching the bus or riding in early with me?” Steve asks around a mouthful of toast. 

“I’ll go in with you. Do some extra research. Maybe cheer everybody else on but you” Eli says standing and starting to collect his stuff. 

He pulls himself together by the time Steve runs across the street and does what ever he has to dp, to look presentable. 

They arrive an hour and a half before school even begins. Eli dumping off his stuff and grabbing the last Varulv book he has to read through. Sitting on the coldest bleachers in the world and cracking open his last chance.

If he didn’t find the answer now. Then he was screwed. Blinky had torn apart every other place he could think of. Claire had poured over book after book in Trollmarket library. Jim and Toby had spent the last two weeks patrolling every night just in case they stumbled upon the Varulv again. 

And if the cure did need to be taken before Steve’s first shift then they were running out of time and quickly. So quickly that Eli could feel the fear building in his throat. Humming in the back of his head. 

“Eli?” A voice murmurs, hand clamping down on his arm. He jumps two feet in the air and blinks back into focus only to see Coach looking down at him. 

“Are you ok. Your shaking?” Coach asks. He was waiting for the team to get changed. Whistle hanging around his neck. Concern on his face. 

He nods. 

“I’m good. Just got lost in my thoughts. What can I help you with?” Eli asks, trying to change topics. 

“I just want to make sure that Steve is ok. He seems a little odd recently. Well…odder. Happier but also like just. I don’t know. I thought you might since I don’t think the kid hasn’t actually slept in his own bed for more then two days for who knows how long”

Eli doesn’t know how to explain it. Or really what he could explain without freaking out Coach. “Your step son is turning into a man-eating monster in twelve days” Didn’t feel like it would exactly go down well. 

So instead he says. 

“Steve is fine. Just stressed about trying to get this scholarship and not disappointing Ms Palchuk” 

Coach seems to like that answer though because he nods and sits beside Eli on the bleachers. 

“It doesn’t help she thinks they won’t take him cause I’m personally connected. But I know his gonna do great. His a good kid and he takes it very seriously. I just wish his mother could see it that way. Could see the passion he has.” 

Eli nods along unsure what to say. But thankfully he doesn’t have to. The team is finally filtering out of the lockers. 

Coach stands and claps Eli on the shoulder. Nearly shoving him off the bleacher in the process but Eli catches himself. 

“Thanks for the reassurance Pepperjack. I’m, uh… y-you two work well together,” He says not looking Eli in the eye and straightening his cap as he heads down to where the team has convened. Giving one of those manly coughs on his decent. 

Eli kinda stops paying attention as soon as Coach starts yelling about game plans. Instead he reads through the book. Brain aching by the time his only a few pages in. 

“Hey” Claire says and he slams the book shut on instinct. 

“Hey” He mumbles opening the book again when he sees it’s just her. 

They go over it together. Claire helping him with a few of the symbols he was still unsure of. But they still come up nothing. 

“Hansen get your head in the game or get off the field!” Coach yells jolting them both. 

“Yes Coach” Flinn yells adjusting his helmet. And that’s when Eli realises that his playing on the opposing team. Playing Quarterback against Steve. 

It like there was a bubble of tension over the field. Flinn and Steve squaring each other up as they get into position again. 

This was not going to go well. Eli closes his book, both him and Claire setting their eyes firmly on the field. 

Coach’s whistle blows and it’s four seconds later, Steve is slamming Flinn into the ground. A sickening crunch ricocheting around the field as Flinn yells in pain. Coach’s whistle goes again as he runs onto the field. Everybody else looking on. 

Eli stands and starts heading down the bleachers. Leaving his stuff with Claire. 

“Palchuk. I think your done for today!” Coach calls. 

“Just give me a minute” Steve snarls, still pinning Flinn to the ground and that’s when Eli hears it. Steve wasn’t completely human. He moves faster, out onto the field. The rest of the team parting for him as he moves for the blond. 

“Steve” Eli calls approaching his boyfriend. Coach getting pissed off. 

“Palchuk I said get off Hansen and then off the field” 

 

“Coach now is not a good time” Eli murmurs before moving over and pressing a hand to Steve’s heaving shoulder. Groaning on the inside at the sweat pouring off Steve. 

“Steve, you’re ok. Deep breathes” He whispers just for Steve’s benefit. Struggling not to have memories of his nightmare bite him in the butt. Steve needed him not to have a panic attack right now. 

“Eli?” Steve asks turning to look at him and he was right. Golden eyes pour out from the helmet. 

“Focus on my voice ok. Come on get up. Your ok. You’re human” Eli murmurs. Seeing Flinn just watching them both, pain and anger in his eyes. 

“Eli” Steve repeats voice turning back to his normal and he shakes his head. Eli grabs the hand extended to him and helps pull his jock to his feet. 

Steve yanks off his helmet as Eli pulls him away from the still crying on the ground Flinn. 

“You ok?” Eli asks softly. 

“Yeah. I just saw Flinn and saw red.” Steve says, sheepish. 

Eli watches out of the corner of his eye as Flinn is pulled to his feet. 

“Walk it off Hansen it’s not that bad” Coach grumbles. 

Eli and Steve watch Hansen put weight on his leg and Steve frowns. 

“He shouldn’t be able to do that.” 

“Why not?” 

“I swear I broke the thing” Steve murmurs, eyes dragging down Flinn’s frame. Narrowed, suspicion bleeding over his face. 

“Maybe you just thought you did. I mean you stared at me for three hours without realising. I hope that is” 

“No I was like 80 percent there. I heard it break. I felt it. I think I broke his knee” Steve grumbles, running a hand through his hair. 

Eli watches Flinn walk on his leg unaided, shrugging off Sherman with a grumble and the suspicious part of his brain started niggling at him. 

“Steve you ok?” Claire asks. Setting a hand on his arm. 

He nods. He looks tired. 

“Yeah fine. Just fine. Thanks for asking” He says shrugging her off. Claire blanches but moves her hand away. 

“Hey can you tell Jim and Tobes to watch Flinn’s house tonight. For anything suspicious” Eli asks. 

“You think he could be the Varulv?” Claire asks, eyes flicking to jock. Concern and suspicion of her own filling her eyes. 

“I don’t know. Just something’s off. He could be forty gnomes in a hat for all we know. Just get them to look into it. Please” He tacks on and Claire nods already getting out her phone. 

Thankfully the rest of the day goes smoothly after Steve gets a ribbing from Coach. Yelling about how they needed every one of their team members not broken to pieces. 

When they get home though Steve bounces off the walls and starts to drive Eli insane. Eli rubbing out his stupid equations for the fourth time. 

“Would you please sit down or go home or SOMETHING!” He finally yells when Steve gets up off the couch and walks around the living room for the eighth time. 

“Sorry. I just feel like I want to crawl out of my skin.” Steve mumbles flopping onto the couch, his head landing in Eli’s lap. Grabbing Eli’s workbook and ditching it onto the coffee table, his pencil following. 

“It’s ok. We can go to the arcade, see a movie?” 

“No, I don’t think I have the concentration. What if we did patrols?” Steve suggests. Turning to look up to Eli. 

“You sure you up to that. The last time uh you kinda got mauled by a giant eight-foot werewolf” Eli says jabbing his boyfriend in the shoulder. 

“I wouldn’t say mauled. Just a little maimed. And I’m fine. Better then fine babe. If anything I’m like twice as better as I was before,” Steve says pouting up at him. 

The nickname makes Eli’s heart clench and he knows that his gonna have trouble resisting Steve’s stupid face. 

“Fine but if you have even the slightest twitch or freak out. Tiniest little flash of the eyes I’m dragging you home” Eli grumbles, poking his boyfriend between the eyes. 

“Of course. I promise” Steve says standing and yanking Eli to his feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure if I'm happy with this but i can always come back and fix it later.


	14. Stake Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Or is it burrito out?

They don’t end up patrolling. Instead, they grab burritos and head for Flinn’s house. Eli wanting to be the ones who staked it out considering it was his idea. 

When they approach they see a rather large shadow sitting up on the roof of the opposite house. They head over. 

“Hey,” Toby says leaning over the edge of the roof, waving down at them. Aaarrrgghh peering over as well. 

“Hey tell the big guy to catch,” Steve says and Eli looks at him confused before his suddenly being picked up and thrown. 

He doesn’t even have time to think as he clutches the bag of burritos to his chest and he lets out a rather unmanly scream. Only for something to snatch him rather gently out of the air. He looks up to see Aaarrrgghh smiling down at him with giant teeth. 

“Gotcha” Aaarrrgghh rumbles. 

Eli scrambles from the large troll’s hand nodding in thanks before looking over the edge of the building

“You good Peps?” Steve asks looking up at him, a stupid smile on his face. 

“Yeah just next time, maybe a little warning would be appreciated,” He says adjusting his glasses. 

“How are you gonna get u…ahh never mind,” Toby says cutting himself off when Steve steps back a few steps before taking a small leap. 

He catches onto the roof and hoists himself up easily. Not an ounce of struggle on his face. 

“If I had warned you, you would have said no,” Steve says with a shrug once his on his feet. 

“Well, either way, what are you two doing here?” Jim asks from where he was sitting, one eye still on Flinn’s house. One of his Glaives in his hands, twisting it over and over. 

“Steve got antsy and I thought you three could do with a break. I know for on that Blinky’s been missing Aaarrrgghh, Claire told me” Eli says with a shrug. 

Aaarrrgghh nods. 

“Missed Blinky” He states dragging one of his fingers across the roof. 

“I know Wingman. How about you go and surprise Blinky and me and Jim will go finish our English essays” Toby says patting the troll on the arm. 

Jim nods and stands. 

“You sure you two got this covered?” He asks, stern. Eyes looking over them cautiously. 

It was times like this that Eli truly noticed the darkness in Jim’s eyes. Everything his seen sitting at the forefront of his brain. How grown up Jim had been before all this Trollhunter stuff and now he looked like a man who has seen way too much. 

“Yeah, we got this covered Lake. What’s the worst that’s gonna happen, we’ll be struck by lightning?” Steve asks cocking an eyebrow. 

“Alright well call if anything changes,” Jim says before Aaarrrgghh picks both him and Toby up and lowers them all out of sight. 

Eli watches them creep out the back of the yard, Aaarrrgghh lifting them over the back fence before jumping over himself and disappearing into the night. 

Steve sighs and slumps down onto the roof. 

“Pass me a burrito. I’m starving” He says and Eli nods sitting down beside him and opening the bag. 

He hands Steve’s over and watches as Steve tears into the first one gleefully. 

“Can you hear Flinn?” Eli asks unwrapping his own single one. 

“I can hear the Wangs three streets over fighting about Mary. I think I got Flinn covered. His just playing COD” Steve says with a mouthful of food. 

Steve takes down his three by the time Eli finishes his own. Eli supposes to a normal person Steve would just seem like he was carb loading for Football Season. It was amazing really what could be mistaken as human. 

A hungry werewolf could be mistaken for a teenage footballer. A troll for a rock. The one person stopping the entire world from ending was a kid struggling to write an English essay due on Monday. 

Or maybe most humans just didn’t care enough to notice the finite details. To look at the bigger picture and see that stars housed aliens. That the ground underneath them held an entire other civilisation. 

Or maybe they were scared. Scared of the truth so they hid behind falsities. 

“Do you think we ever would have become friends if Trolls didn’t exist?” Eli blurts, watching the lights start to go off in Flinn’s house. His parents moving off to bed. 

“Maybe, I mean we might have still been put together to look after Flip,” Steve says wiping his mouth on the back of his arm. 

“Sure I guess,” Eli says looking down to pick at his shoelace. 

“That’s not the only thing you want to ask is it?” Steve asks, voice almost too loud in the cool night air. 

Eli sighs, heart, pounding as a little annoyance fluttered through his chest. Why the hell did Steve have to know him so well? It was irritating sometimes. 

“Are you gay or…?” Eli mumbles unsure how to even bring it up. Let alone word it correctly. 

“Well, I’m definitely not straight if that’s what you want to know. But I think you already figured that out, though I’m not gay either. I like girls too. It’s not like I exactly noticed other guys before I met you.” 

Eli just nods unsure what to truly get out of that answer. 

“That doesn’t mean you’re an experiment either Pepperjack,” Steve says quickly grabbing Eli’s fidgeting hand and stilling it in his own. His skin is warm, to the point it’s almost burning and it sends tingles up Eli’s arm. 

“I heard him ask you out…that night” Steve murmurs rubbing his thumb across the back of Eli’s hand. 

“Yeah?” Eli asks, surprised turning to look at Steve’s face. 

“Yeah, I had come to find you, Check on you and then I heard that and I had to walk away before I turned him into mush” Steve explains not looking Eli in the eye. Instead, it’s hit the turn to fidget, playing with Eli’s hand. 

So Eli makes the first move this time, He tugs on Steve’s hand and forces the boy to look at him before leaning up and kissing him. Tasting burrito but also Steve. Mostly Steve. 

Steve catches on quickly and is pulling Eli into his lap. 

Eli wasn’t sure he’d ever get the chance to actually do this but now he can. He was right in the fact that he thought Steve’s lips would be soft. He feels Steve’s hands creep up under his shirt, but not to do anything. Just to press into Eli’s skin softly, almost reassuringly. 

He wraps his arms around Steve’s neck. Holding him close as possible as he pulls away to suck in a deep breathe. Steve just smiling at him in the minimal light coming off the sliver of the moon. 

“I’m so glad Coach forced us to work together” Steve murmurs. Eli can only really nod. 

Eli’s eyes flash open and he scrambles upright from where he had been using Steve’s arm a pillow. His body ached from where he had fallen asleep on the roof, his glasses askew on his face. He doesn’t even remember when he fell asleep. 

Hell, the only thing he really knew was that the sun was just starting to rise behind Flinn’s house, casting it in a tiny warm glow of orange. He nudges Steve and the blond bolts upright.

“What’s going o…oh shit,” Steve says quickly gathering his bearings, looking around. 

“We fell asleep,” Eli says stating the obvious. 

“And Flinn is gone, from what I can hear at least,” Steve says running a hand through his hair and uselessly fighting off a yawn. 

Eli fixes up his glasses and blinks away the extra blur in his vision. 

“We should probably move before someone sees us, and before Mum starts asking questions,” He says standing and grabbing his bag off the shingles. 

Steve nods and stands himself grabbing his own bag. They head for the edge of the roof and Eli tries to figure out how to get down without breaking his legs. 

“I’m gonna pick you up,” Steve says answering his silent question. 

“You sure you’re gonn…” Eli doesn’t get a chance to finish that sentence. Steve had picked him up easily, bridal style. Eli wraps his arms around Steve’s neck. 

“Hang on Peps. This might be a little bumpy” Steve murmurs flashing Eli a still slightly sleepy smile. 

“Just don’t drop me,” Eli says before Steve steps off the roof. 

Just outright steps off like he was walking on a flat surface. Eli manages to contain his scream this time, wind whipping past until they land with a solid thump. Steve 

He opens his eyes to see they’re on the ground again, Steve smiling down at him cockily. 

“Yeah, yeah, put me down,” Eli says letting his boyfriend go. 

Steve snickers a little and sets him down on his feet. 

They walk back to where Steve had parked his Vespa and Eli just enjoys the early morning. It was still a little coolish, still only a month coming off the back end of winter break. 

“Hey so I was thinking, This Saturday me and you should go on a date” Steve murmurs as they enter the street they had left his Vespa on. 

“That sounds good, what would we do?” Eli asks perking up at the idea. 

“I want it to be a surprise,” Steve says with a shrug before pulling his keys from his pocket. 

“Can I get a hint?” Eli asks as he climbs on the back of Steve’s Vespa. 

“No cause I’m pretty sure that would ruin the surprise,” Steve says laughing a little as he starts the scooter up. 

Eli spends the rest of the trip home trying to weasel out anything from Steve but gets nowhere. 

“Please anything, a single hint and I’ll give you anything you want!” Eli begs as Steve finally pulls into their street. 

Steve doesn’t say anything until he pulls into his driveway and slides off the scooter. Eli following. 

“I’ll give you a hint if you kiss me,” He says smirking. 

Eli smiles. 

“I think I can do that” He chirps before catching Steve’s shirt and pulling him down. He kisses Steve with enough gusto that he accidentally catches Steve’s bottom lip with his teeth. The blond doesn’t seem to care though, one hand moving to press lighting against the back of Eli’s head. 

Seconds later though Steve pulls back. 

“Don’t eat breakfast” He murmurs and Eli’s eyes narrow. 

“That’s not a hint!” He grumbles glaring up at his boyfriend. 

“Yes, it is. And you didn’t specify that you wanted a good hint” Steve says laughing a little. Eli smacks him in the chest lightly. 

“Your horrid Palchuk” He grumbles adjusting his bag. 

“You love it.” His boyfriend murmurs smiling widely at him. 

He heads across the street then so on a high of just being with Steve that he doesn’t notice the dingy old convertible sitting out the front. He did know he was hungry through and heads for the kitchen only to stop dead when he hears that dreaded voice box of cereal falling through his hands and hitting the floor. The same voice that haunted his dreams and therapy sessions for the past 17 years. 

“Hello Elijah”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to every single person who comments and likes this story. You guys are honestly what keeps this thing going and you make me love writing it even more. 
> 
> Can you guess whose come to visit?


	15. The Worst Surprise In The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli's dad comes to town and things go about as well as they normally do. Which is to say not well at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning: Homophobic Slurs and Violence.

Eli would much rather face thirty Varulvs at the same time then the man that sat before him. They seemed like the much easier option. 

His father was sitting across the kitchen table from Eli’s mother, two cups of coffee and… Eli’s heart skips a beat when he sees his journal sitting there.

Eli feels like he's going to be sick, his palms are sweating, his chest hurts and he can’t breathe properly. He forces himself to suck in a deep, slow breath. Focusing on a single happy thought. On the fact that if he made it through the next hour alive Steve was taking him on a date. An actual date. 

It’s only once his certain his not going to have an actual panic attack does he move to sit between his parents at the table. He notices just how pale his mother is, her cup shaking a little from the tight grip she has on it. 

“Hello Dad,” Eli finally manages to squeak out. Not looking at his father in the eye, feeling as if the man could have been able to read his thoughts if he did. 

His mother looked like she wanted to be absolutely anywhere but here and Eli was feeling rather the same. 

Jakob Ronald Pepperjack was a cruel, vindictive, manipulative, narcissistic man and that was only about a quarter of the adjectives Eli could use to describe him. None of them pleasant. Eli may have been lucky enough to never be hit by the man but that didn’t mean the verbal and mental abuse was a cake walk. Eli was still dealing with his father’s words and mostly would be for the rest of his life. 

His hair had thinned since the last time Eli had seen him, his beetle eyes (Eli had never been more thankful to get his mother’s eyes in his life than that moment) seemingly trying to peer down into Eli’s soul and figure out the best way to tear him apart. He was wearing a suit but not a good one, this one looked like it had been worn one too many times and he was fatter as well. Maybe that was the middle age or maybe it was his new Stepford wife overstuffing his greedy face. 

“So care to explain where the hell you were? You had me and your mother worried sick?” Jakob starts. 

Eli knows this routine well. The pretend caring. The false promises of actual worry, of actual care. Jakob cared about nothing more than tripping Eli up in a lie. He actually couldn’t remember a time when his father had actually given him praise for anything. 

“I was out studying with Toby, Jim and Steve. Mum knew that” He says thinking over every single word carefully. He forces himself to look Jakob in the eye, feeling like he was six again. Cowering under his father’s gaze. 

“Studying? That’s really the lie that you’re going with?” Jakob sneers. 

“Yes, because it’s not a lie.” 

Jakob frowns and he can only watch as he tries to think of something to catch Eli with. Then he smiles, slightly. A small twitch in the corner of his mouth and Eli feels every single cell in his body scream danger. 

“Steve huh? He’s the guy you’re a fag for right?” His father says setting one meaty hand on Eli’s journal.

Eli’s mouth falls open in shock. His mother’s following suit. She's regains herself quicker than him though. 

“How dare you talk to your son like that!” She snaps. Looking livid. 

“Well I’m right am I not? Your journal’s very telling and to say I’m disgusted is an understatement. You’re a god damned sin given human form. Though by that bruise on your face, I’d say somebody already told you that” 

Every word hurts worse then the last and Eli is praying that a hole opens up in the floor. Or a truck slams through the wall and eviscerates him. That one sounds way more amazing than having to deal with the disgust and ire rolling of his father. 

“Jakob. How can you think like that! Who Eli likes shouldn’t matter as long as he's happy” His mum says. Shock and horror forming on her face. Eli thinks she’s gonna snap the handle of her mug if she grips it any tighter. 

Eli was just stuck watching, frozen in place. Heart in his throat.

“Because it’s wrong! Boy’s shouldn’t like boys April. It’s unnatural! I know what we’ll do, we’ll put him in conversion therapy” 

Even Eli expected a least a little human decency from his father but apparently, that was long gone. 

“Absolutely not! Just because you have a problem with it doesn’t that I’m going to force Eli to hide a part of himself!” His mother growls back. He hadn’t seen her this angry since…since the time they signed the divorce papers. Eli vaguely remembers cowering behind his mother as they had screamed blue murder at each other for hours. 

“He won’t be hiding it, we’ll be fixing it. Elijah won’t have homosexual tendencies afterwards. He’ll be normal, he’ll like girls” Jakob says way to calmly for the situation. Like he was explaining the weather outside and not trying to rip away the one thing that Eli actually liked about himself. 

“God would you listen to yourself!” Eli yells before he can stop himself. Angry that every single time Eli seems to get his feet under himself, his father had to come and try and ruin it again. Had to tear down every single thing that Eli had built for himself and he was sick of it. 

“You stay out of this boy. You don’t get a say!” Jakob snarls back. 

“This is why we divorced because you have to be right all the time! You think you have to fix anybody slight wrong with your idea of perfect. Elijah is gay and you don’t get to try and change that because you're uncomfortable!” His mother shouts. 

“I refuse to have a queer in my house!” His father bellows standing so fast that he knocks off his coffee cup, the chair screeching backwards. Eli can only watch silently as the coffee heads for his journal. 

He doesn’t want to grab for it though. He doesn’t want to escalate this further. His mother, on the other hand, has the opposite idea standing as well. 

“Good thing this isn’t your house then. Hasn’t been since you signed the divorce papers. Since you told me that you didn’t want anything more to do with Elijah!” 

His father is quiet for a single, peaceful second before he explodes face turning red with rage. 

“No wonder he turned out like a little faggot, with you as his mother! How often do you work, how often were you actually here to help him, raise him! He might have turned out ok if you weren’t his mother. I knew I shouldn’t have let you call him Leslie, maybe I should have taken him with me and he might have had a fucking chance of being a normal h…” 

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” Eli finally snaps forcing his own chair back as he stands. So angry that his shaking, that he wants to cry. His dad turns to look at him and this might be the angriest his every seen the man. Eyes bulging out of his head, veins on his neck looking ready to pop. 

Eli gathers the courage though and steels his back. 

“Don’t you dare talk to her like that ever again. She has done the best she can to raise me and she’s done all of it on her own even when you were here! You don’t get to degrade her and try and make her feel like shit because you weren’t cut out to be a father let alone a decent human being!” 

Eli doesn’t see the hit coming but he definitely feels it as his forced back a few steps. Handing flying to his face as his nose screams in pain. He thinks one of his glass lenses is cracked but his more concerned with the warmth trickling down his face. He pulls his hands away to see them covered in his own blood. 

“Talk to me like that ever again and you’ll end up with worse than a bloody nose. GOT IT!” Jakob shouts. 

“Lay a hand on my boyfriend again and I’ll make you eat your own fingers” Another voice snarls, low and quiet. Terrifying. 

Eli watches his father turn before bulking as he takes in Steve. The blond outshining him by a few good inches, width and height. Football build coming in handy as he glares down at Jakob. Eyes burning gold, brilliant and almost icy cold. 

“And who the fuck would you be?” 

“I just told you, Eli’s boyfriend so I’d back off. I’m not exactly someone you want to mess with” 

“Really is that so? What’s a little daffodil like you gonna to me?” Jakob sneers. He even has the balls to laugh a little.

That laughter doesn’t last long though when Steve grabs his blazer’s collar and slams Jakob hard enough into the wall that a photo of Eli and his mother falls off, shattering as it hits the floor. Eli feels a hand wrap around his arm and his being pulled out of the way, wads of paper towel being shoved into his hand and against nose. 

Worry lining his mothers face as they both watch Steve tower over his father. 

“Listen here, little man. You’re nothing compared to Eli. You’re a coward and a homophobic piece of shit that the world would be without. Eli is the most amazing, smartest, nicest person I have ever met. Something you could never achieve in a million years so your gonna do me a favour. You’re never going to contact Eli or April again. I find you laid a single finger on him I will make you hurt worse than ever felt.” 

That the voice that comes from Steve sends the hands-on Eli’s arms and neck standing straight. Sends fear straight to his gut. This wasn’t completely Steve or maybe, just maybe it was. Now at least. Maybe this was Steve’s new normal. Something never quite human, something boarding animalistic and gut-wrenching. 

“Do you understand me!?” Steve growls, slamming Jakob against the wall. 

His father mumbles something that Eli can’t hear but Steve seems to be happy with the answer because he drags Jakob to the hallway and practically throws him. 

Jakob manages to just barely catch himself before sending a death glare Eli’s way. He goes to say something but Steve steps into his vision and Jakob’s mouth snaps shut. He turns and walks down the hall out of sight. 

Steve stands there until Jakob’s convertible is tearing away. Until Eli can’t hear it anymore and for a minute after that. Neither he nor his mother move. The only thing truly moving was the blood still trickling from his nose. 

Finally, it’s like the tension over the house breaks and Steve seems to take the first breath before turning. Those golden eyes have given way back to his soft brown ones currently filled with concern and worry. 

Before Steve can really do anything though his being tackled in a bear hug by Eli’s mother. He looks surprised for a moment before hugging her back. 

“Thank you so much. Even if what you did was stupid.” April murmurs against his chest before pulling back and holding Steve at arm’s length. “Elijah is so lucky to have you” 

Eli lets himself fall into the chair his mother had been occupying, his head tipping back to try and staunch the bleeding. Feeling discomfort as it rolls down the back of his throat instead. 

“You ok Peps?” Steve asks voice soft once April lets him from her clutches, disappearing from the room. 

Steve drags a chair closer to Eli and sits down as well as Eli shrugs. 

What could he really say? He wasn’t exactly joyous, but he wasn’t sad either. He was just tired, relieved and sore. 

Steve grabs some more paper towel and replaces the blood-soaked stuff but not before grabbing Eli’s nose rather harshly causing him to yelp. 

“It’s not broken” 

“Yeah, could have told you that! How would you know anyways?” Eli grumbles, voice thick with blood and pain. 

“I’ve had my fair share,” Steve says with a shrug even as darkness crosses his eyes for a second. Right, Steve’s dad had been quite a bit more violent then Eli’s own. 

Eli starkly remembers the time Steve would come to school with black eyes and bruising. The one time he had come in with a broken wrist that had been hastily wrapped. Eli also remembers being very late to English because Steve had jammed him in his locker for even asking if the blond was ok.

Steve grabs his free hand and presses it against his cheek as if reassuring himself that Eli’s ok. 

“You did good standing up to him. I still can’t believe he hit you though” Steve mumbles, anger flashing through his eyes again at the mere mention of Eli’s father. 

“It was definitely a surprise. Thank you for coming when you did though, I think mum might have murdered him otherwise.” Eli says, face fluttering into a quick smile before it disappears again. “Thank you for controlling it as well” 

As much as he hated the guy, he didn’t want to actually put Jakob through the wringer. Or let an angry, violent Steve get his hands on him. 

“It was easy, all I had to do was think of you” Steve murmurs. 

Eli feels something warm in his chest like nothing could destroy his happiness when Steve was around. 

Eli finally feels his nose dry up and he sighs. Just another bruise that his gonna have to try and explain without actually explaining it. 

His mother reappears then and Eli blanches. She had changed from her work uniform and instead donned jeans and one of her older t-shirts. 

“You two are having the day off and we’re going out for ice-cream,” She says grabbing her car keys off the kitchen bench. 

“But my record” 

“I’ll call you in sick. Tell Principal Strickler that something important came up. Now shoo got get cleaned up and changed” She says patting him on the shoulder. 

He stands with a sigh and Steve trails behind like a lost puppy. Seeming to think that Eli is gonna faint at any second. He heads to the bathroom first and cleans himself up as best as possible, Steve watching on. 

“How are you feeling? No headaches? No dizziness?” Steve asks softly taking over and pulling the wet face washer from Eli’s hands. Being gentle as he gets the few spots of blood that Eli missed. 

“I’m fine I promise. You don’t have to coddle me” He gripes even though he doesn’t really mind it all that much. It was actually kinda nice. 

“I know that but I want to. I like taking care of you. Think of it as paying you back for all the times you had to look after me” Steve says. Corner of his mouth curled into a smile that was going to actually drive Eli crazy one of these days. 

Eli doesn’t fight it, just lets Steve dote for a few minutes. Instead, he's still left with the entire morning reeling in his head. The fact that Steve had promised him a date. That he had finally stood up to his dad after all these years. That was definitely something refreshing. 

After his blood free, he gets changed quickly back into normal clothes and grabs his spare set of glasses. Steve still following behind as he heads back down the stairs only to be grabbed by his mother. 

Her fingers pressing into his cheeks are she looks him over. 

“You’re already starting to bruise. The bastards lucky I don’t take him to court for assault” She grumbles before her eyes flick up to look at Steve and she sighs. 

“But I won’t cause he might try and drag Steve down with him. As I said you did something extremely stupid but I’m also extremely grateful you did” His mother finally lets him go. 

“I just did what I thought was right. He can do whatever the hell he wants to. All that matters is Eli’s ok” Steve says with a shrug. 

“While that’s a lovely sentiment, I think Lyn might disagree. Now come on. Ice-cream awaits!” She says steering them both for the front door. 

They end up at the local café and even Steve bulks when Eli orders the biggest, chocolate mint sundae with caramel sauce, chopped nuts and sprinkles they have. Eli’s eyes light up with a sense of glee as he takes in his monstrosity. 

“Dude I don’t think even I could eat all of that!” Steve warns poking his own reasonably sized strawberry ice-cream. 

Eli proves him very wrong though. His mother rolling her eyes over her cup of coffee when Eli smacks the back of Steve’s hand with his spoon. The brute trying to steal some. 

“You should be warned for future reference to never stand between Elijah and ice-cream. When he was 8 he somehow convinced me to let him eat an entire litre of chocolate ice-cream. To this day I still don’t have any clue how he did it” 

“I was raised by a lawyer what do you expect? Though it didn’t exactly end well but I would definitely do it again” Eli explains. 

He gets a flashback of his head stuck in a bucket for a solid hour. Ice-cream had not been his friend that day. 

“No, now you just can’t stand the smell of chocolate,” His mother says staring him down. 

He shrugs and takes the last bite of his sundae. Every single spoonful worth it. 

“At least I know what flavour to get if I want it to last more then five minutes” Steve smirks, knocking his knee against Eli’s. 

“I would still eat it, just to annoy you” He chirps. 

“Like you could. I’ve dealt with you for the past two years and you haven’t annoyed me once so far” 

“Is that a challenge Palchuk?” Eli asks eyes narrowing as a smirk forms on his face. 

“Try it Pepperjack. Dare you” Steve murmurs and they had moved closer together without even realising it. Now breathing in the same air. 

“Boys do remember we are in public. I don’t want to be banned from my favourite coffee shop because neither of you can keep your hands to yourself.” His mother says setting her now empty coffee cup on the table with a soft clink not even bothering to hide her grin. 

“Mum!” Eli groans, sitting back in his chair and covering his face. Cheeks burning red. 

Steve just falls about laughing and Eli kicks him under the table.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Eli. One day I'll stop hurting the precious cinnamon bun. Today is not that day but one day and Hey at least April is finally warming to Steve.


	16. A Chance At Normalicy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Could this be it? Was this the end of all their troubles?

Eli only remembers his journal and its fate about two seconds after they get back home. He rushes into the kitchen and sighs softly, coming to a stop as he takes in the wreckage. It was still sitting in a puddle of cold coffee. Eli pulls the journal off the table and cringes when coffee drips off it. It’s cover soggy and ripping under his hands. 

“I’m so sorry Love, we’ll get you a new one,” His mother says from where she was cleaning up the glass from the shattered picture. 

“It’s ok. I-it can’t be that badly damaged” He says with false hope as he peels open the first page. He was very wrong. 

He couldn’t even determine what he had written on the page. He flips the book to Steve’s page and the page just tears out completely. An unreadable mess. Eli feels stupid for wanting to cry over a book but he had spent hours putting work into it. It had held everything. His thoughts and feelings about everything, stuff on Trolls and Changelings. Every possible thing he had on Steve's condition. All of it was gone all because his Dad had to suddenly get involved in his life again. Every time the man visited Eli always lost something important to him and it was fucking bullshit! 

“Eli?” Steve asks softly but Eli cuts him off before he can say anything. 

“It’s fine, it was just a stupid journal anyways” He mumbles, voice cracking as he moves over to the bin and throws the destroyed journal in. Not wanting to think about it anymore. 

He heads up to his room, feeling lost on what to do. That’s when he sees the SAT practise cards on his desk. He falls belly first on the bed and looks at the cards in his hands. 

“Uhh, that’s something bad right? A mistake?” Steve asks a few minutes later. Eli nods and he feels the bed dip as Steve moves to lay his head on Eli’s back. 

They don’t really talk. Steve just lets Eli cycle through his cards playing some game or another on his phone but he also doesn’t seem keen on leaving Eli alone either. 

Eli doesn’t mind though, enjoying the company. 

Steve phone rings at some stage and it turns out to be Jim checking on them. 

“We took the day off. Some shit came up but we’re fine nothing you need to know about” Steve says. 

Eli hears Jim very, very faint reply and Steve lets out a quiet huff. 

“When I say we’re fine I mean it Lake. We didn’t want to deal with school today is that alright with you?” 

It was interesting how easily Steve had adapted to saying we. Like they were one unit which Eli supposed in a way they were. He almost wants to hate how warm that makes his chest feel but he can’t. 

Eli listens to Jim’s faint mumbling but deciphers nothing from it. 

“Eli say you’re ok” Steve murmurs holding out the phone. 

“I’m ok” He calls out shaking his head slightly. 

“Happy now?...Yeah alright. Tell Coach to knock off the whining and take it up with Ms Pepperjack if he has a problem” Steve grumbles before finally hanging up. 

“I know Lake is your friend but I swear I sometimes want to smash his head in,” Steve says. 

“Yeah, that’s Jim for you. He means well,” Eli says with a shrug before fighting off a yawn. 

They spend the rest of the day playing video games and Eli has a small nap somewhere in there. Curled against Steve’s side as they watched reruns of Dr Who. The Third Doctor of course. 

His mother hangs around the lounge room with them, having a nap of her own. Seeming to want to avoid work today which was a good thing in a way. Eli hated watching her work all the time, hated how stresses she seemed to get over it. 

When Eli wakes up they do some studying, Steve looking like he wants to eat Eli’s SAT cards. 

“Seriously who needs to know any of this stuff. When in the world am I gonna use the word Lollygag. I’m not eighty” Steve grumbles looking at the card in his hand. 

“I don’t know when you’re actually eighty?” Eli suggests not even looking up from his laptop. Still writing out his thesis. He swears the more he looks at the word count the smaller it gets. 

“I can think of forty more things that we can do that are actually fun” Steve whines and it’s almost cute if a little annoying. 

“Probably but this has to be done or you don’t graduate” Eli points out before sighing and saving his work. He stands and moves to the cupboard pulling out his stash of Kit Kats and heads back to the table. 

“What are you planning?” Steve asks. 

“A Kit-Kat for every five cards,” He says simply resuming his writing. 

Steve’s eyes narrow. 

“You do realise I’m not turning into dog right. I don’t need to be bribed to study” 

“So you don’t want them. I’m fine with that. More for me” Eli chirps grabbing the Kit-Kats and going to put them over the other side of his computer but a hand on his stops his movement. 

“I didn’t say that. I was just saying it’s unnecessary, not that I wouldn’t do it” Steve says and Eli smirks to himself. 

His boyfriend was too predictable when it came to food. 

“Ahuh. Sure” Eli says but he lets the Kit-Kats remain in place and gets back to his own assignment. 

Nothing much happens over the next two days. Jim and Claire have a freak out over Eli’s new bruise but he reassures them that everything is fine and explains the whole Dad situation. It’s only then they calm and Jim stops threatening to run Steve through with his sword. 

Then it was time to start really discussing alternate plans if Blinky can’t pull a cure out of thin air in the next week. 

“Is there anywhere in Trollmarket?” Eli asks softly looking around to make sure nobody was listening in as he and Claire tried not to blow up the science lab. 

“Maybe down near the Gyre somewhere but I don’t know. I’ll have to ask Blinky. He said he was going to get RotGuts to let him in so he could have a look through the artefacts they have.”

“Is there anywhere nearby. Somewhere we can get to quickly then that’s out of the way?” 

“From what we’ve looked at, not really,” 

“C-could we maybe ask to use Ms Lakes basement. I mean she knows what’s going on and Strickler will be there to help” 

“Actually, that wouldn’t work. Principal Strickler and Ms Lake are going on a holiday somewhere to commemorate their second anniversary of being together. I mean we might still be able to use their basement but I also don’t know if it’s a good option in general. What if Steve gets out, especially in a crowded and busy neighbourhood” Claire explains. 

Eli nods disappointed as he turns back to his computer only to feel like a slap in the face. Today they were discussing poisonous plants and their effects on the human body. Why hadn’t he thought of it before? How could he forget the biggest cliché in the werewolf book? 

“Aconitum Napellus!” He says a little too loud. The science teacher glaring at him for disrupting the class. 

“What?” Claire asks. 

“Wolfsbane. I can’t believe none of us have thought of it before. What if that’s been the answer all along?” Eli says almost feeling excited at having a potential answer to this whole mess for once. 

Claire’s eyes light up as well and she starts scrawling out a note. 

“Would RotGut’s have any?” 

“I think so. Let me check” She murmurs before the note bursts into black flames. 

“You're getting good at that” Eli comments. 

“Practise makes perfect. I nearly burnt down the house the first time I really tried” She says giving a slightly sheepish laugh. 

It’s only towards the end of science does a note flutter down from the sky. Claire snatches it quickly out of the air and reads over it. 

“It took a bit of convincing but RotGut’s gave up a wolfsbane charm. NotEnrique is gonna drop it off this afternoon. I’ll send him to you” Claire reads aloud already pulling out her phone to text the Changeling. 

Eli can only nod. 

After Science, his caught by Steve, the blond waiting outside the door. Slinging his arm around Eli’s shoulder and steering him towards the field. 

“How you feeling?” He asks softly. 

“Yeah good, my nose has stopped aching. How about you?” 

“Coach wants to talk to the team. You’re done for the day, right?” 

“Just have a few books to return but yes I’m done. Why?” Eli asks. 

“I just missed you that’s all and I think Coach is announcing when the first game is gonna be” 

Steve and Eli amble to the library. Miss Jenkin hounding Steve about a book he still had yet to return before heading down to the field. 

The day over overcast, dark clouds filling the sky and casting long shadows onto the ground which meant that it was even cooler today. Eli rugged up beneath a thin sweater and Steve’s letterman jacket. 

“Aren’t you cold?” He asks the blond. Steve was still just walking around in his polo shirt. Even Sherman has donned a jacket and he was normally a space heater of a human being. 

“Nope,” Steve says with shrug. 

“Varulv thing?” 

“Probably.” 

Flinn death stares them as they pass and proceeds to sit as far away from the pair as possible. Eli is pulled onto Steve’s lap and he rolls his eyes at the gesture even he feels far comfier here than sitting on an actual bleacher. Knowing that Steve is partially rubbing it in Flinn’s face. 

Even Eli didn’t understand boys half the time and he was one. How did girls even have a chance? 

“Alright, boys and Pepperjack. I have an announcement to make” Coach says catching sight of Eli. Really at this point, he should be used to seeing Eli’s face. Eli couldn’t really remember the last time he hadn’t been by to watch practice. 

He looks down at his clipboard and hums under his breath. 

“So as you know we’ve got our first game coming up. I just found out who and when it is and you’re not gonna be happy about it” 

“Who Coach?” Justin, one of the freshmen who still hadn’t quite made it off the bench asks. 

“Hallgrove” 

A collective groan rings out and even Eli grimaces. Hallgrove was Arcadia Oak’s private school and they were about as fun to deal with as handling a cactus barehanded. Just a whole bunch of pricks. 

They were snobby and stuck up and just generally unpleasant to deal with. Their coach wasn’t much better. His was the type who didn’t like getting his hands dirty. Whereas Coach Lawrence would get hands-on and show the team how to do certain tackles, certain game tactics. 

“Yeah, I know. It sucks but when we shove it on their faces that we don’t need fancy dancy gym equipment that’s gonna be a good moment. One I’m gonna enjoy every second of” Coach says stopping the team’s disgruntlement in their tracks. 

The thought of rubbing anything in Hallgrove’s face makes the team perk up. Eli is distracted though by the thumb rubbing soft circles on his thigh. Steve doesn’t even seem to realise he's doing it. 

“So, when’s the first game Coach?” Sherman asks leaning back on the bleachers looking almost bored. But that was a normal expression on Sherman’s face. He always seemed bored unless he was partying. 

Coach looks down at his clipboard and mouths something or other before finally finding what he was looking for. 

“This full moon” 

Both Eli and Steve freeze, Eli turning to look at Coach. Looking for the laughter lines around his eyes betraying the fact that this was a joke. 

“Uh, Coach…” Steve starts but he doesn’t know how to exactly to explain the problem. 

“Yes, Palchuk. You gotta problem?” Coach grumbles. 

“Sorta” Steve mumbles. 

“Well, you can take Pepperjack on a date another time. We have scouts coming so I need all of your asses out on that field now and warming up. We need you in top shape if you want to be recruited” 

Eli slides off Steve’s lap as Steve stands and seems to have a mini-meltdown. 

“Scouts. Scouts Eli. I have to play but I can’t play. What if I…”Steve glances around to the very quickly emptying bleachers, “…Wolf out in the middle of the game. That might really ruin my chances!” 

“Calm down. It’s gonna be fine, we think we might have something that can help with the whole Varulv thing. So all I want you to do for the moment is go and get changed and make Coach stop glaring at me” Eli says standing up on the bleacher so his even with Steve’s height for once. 

He had noticed over the last week that Steve had grown again. He wasn’t sure if the growth spurt was Varulv related though or just growing teenager. 

“Right of course. You really think you have something that can help?” 

“Yes. Now go before Coach starts plotting my murder” Eli says laughing a little before dragging Steve in for a quick kiss. Watching Coach’s face sink even further into an annoyed grimace. 

Steve runs off after that to get changed and Eli sits back on the bleachers. Just watching the black clouds swirling above him. The first few drops starting to fall. A few landing on his face. He reaches into his bag and brings out his umbrella just as it starts bucketing down. 

He watches as Coach gets soaked and as the team grumble, getting absolutely saturated the minute they step into the rain. 

“Do we really have to practise now coach. It’s a mud puddle out here” Someone complains. 

“It builds character, now get on that field and get into position!” Coach bellows over the rain before the whistle blares. 

It’s halfway through practise when Eli nearly jumps thirty feet in the air when something grabs his leg. He looks down to see NotEnrique snickering as the changeling pulls himself from under the bleachers. Wearing a duck onesie and tugging at the onesies collar with a huff. 

“You needed something, Little Nerd?” The green annoyance says, a rather sickening smirk on its face. 

“Yes. Did you bring it?” Eli asks. 

“Sis said you would have socks for me. No socks, no wolfsbane” NotEnrique grumbles crossing his arms. 

“Locker rooms are that way. Now hand it over” Eli says holding out his hand. 

Eli wanted the changeling out of sight as quickly as possible. If anybody saw him. Eli couldn’t exactly explain where the sudden four-year-old came from. 

“Fine, fine. You nerds are no fun. Here” NotEnrique says thrusting a necklace into Eli’s hands and sauntering off. 

“Thank you!” Eli calls after him and he gets a curt wave before the green monster disappears out of sight. Probably off the pillage the locker rooms. Eli shudders at the thought but quickly turns to look at the thing in his hands. 

It was silver. Another cliché werewolf thing that Eli had completely forgotten about and it looked more like a purple stone than anything. Not quite as plant-like as Eli has imagined but if it could cure Steve or even just halt the changing process for a little while so they could look for a more permanent cure. Then Eli would be happy. 

He pockets the necklace and turns back only to watch Sherman eat the ground when the half-back Ryan tackles him. Mud flying everywhere and they all look a total drenched, muddy mess. Steve looking like his jersey would need a few washes after this, caked with mud and soaked to the bone with rain. 

Eli spends the rest of the practice avoided the rain and playing games on his phone. Shooting Claire a text that he got the Wolfsbane and for her and the rest of the Trollhunters to meet him and Steve at his house so they could test it out. 

Practise finally concludes with shivering freshman and a sniffly coach who seems thoroughly pleased with their progress. 

“Go on, your all free to go.” Coach finally grumbles and the team cheers. 

Eli snickers under his breathe as he watches them all make their way off the field, cleats doing nothing to stop them from sliding and slipping everywhere. Flinn catching Justin before the freshman hits the ground. 

“And you wonder why you’re still on the bench” Eli overhears him grumble and Justin burns red. Looking down at his feet. 

Eli goes to wait beside the locker doors for Steve. Sherman is the first out, mumbling under his breathe. 

“I swear I was just wearing them before practise. Where the hell could they have gone?”

“What?” Eli asks out of curiosity. 

“My socks,” Sherman says still mumbling as he walks off adjusting his bag as he goes. 

NotEnrique must have had his fill then. 

The others filter out slowly after. One of the wide receivers ruffling Eli’s hair as he passes in good-bye. 

Sherman had once made a joke that they should use Eli as their mascot instead since he hung around all the time. Everybody on the team seemed to enjoy having him around and Ryan had said very seriously that Eli that he should, and Eli’s only quoting here “Be their Cheerleader”. Hell, the only person that didn’t like him at the moment was Flinn. 

Thinking of the devil. He appears a few seconds later and refuses to even look at Eli as he passes. It only stings a little but Eli supposes in a way he hurt the other boy in return. So, it was best to give Flinn time to lick his wounds. 

Before Eli can dwell on it though Steve is coming out of the lockers and taking Eli’s breathe away. It’s unfair really that Steve can look so good without even trying. At least it’s unfair to Eli’s heart. 

His normally uniform hair was still damp from his shower and sticking to his forehead a little. Most of it fluffy from where a towel had been rubbed over it. He has that crinkle to the corner of his eye he normally gets after playing. Like his one of the happiest people on earth. 

“I saw Claire’s changeling thing stop by. What was that about?” Steve asks not even bothering to try and remember NotEnrique’s name. 

“He was dropping off this,” Eli says pulling the necklace from his pocket. 

“You think it’s gonna work?” Steve asks looking it but he doesn’t make a move to touch it. Caution behind his eyes. 

“I hope so” Eli looks at the necklace as well, praying that this works before looking back up at Steve and throwing on a reassuring smile.

“You ready to be human again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, big, slightly all over the place chapter.


	17. Breathetaking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How weird it is to be human.

Eli opens his front door to Blinky and Aaarrrgghh standing in his living room. Toby sitting on his mother’s favourite armchair. Claire and Jim had their heads together off to the side, muttering about something. Everybody perks up when they see Eli and Steve though. 

“Hey. Sorry it took so long. Someone wanted In and Out” Eli says gesturing to the brute behind him. 

“You wanted fries as well” Steve grumbles and Eli shrugs. 

“You were paying, of course, I wanted fries. Free food, duh” Eli says simply.   
Steve rolls his eyes. 

“You’re incorrigible” He grumbles before taking the lid off his drink and downing the rest of it. 

“So what is the plan, Master Elijah?” Blinky asks. 

“Uh, I was hoping you could tell us” He murmurs pulling the necklace from his pocket. He throws it to the Trollhunter. Jim catches it and starts inspecting it. 

Steve pulls Eli onto the only leftover seat on the couch, Eli being pulled onto his lap though at this point it seems to be a permanent spot. 

“You sure this is safe. I mean it’s silver. Have we tested silver before?” Jim asks, Claire and Aaarrrgghh looking over his shoulder at the purple stone.   
Eli shakes his head. 

“Try this” Claire says pulling one off her earrings out and throwing it to Steve. 

He catches it easily and holds it in his hand for a few solid seconds before shrugging. 

“Doesn’t seem to be doing anything. I think we’re fine” He murmurs throwing it back. 

“That’s good. One less thing to worry about.” Jim says legitimately looking a little relieved. 

“Now Wolfsbane is poisonous so no licking the stone” Blinky explains moving over to them and holding out the necklace. 

“Yes cause the was the first thing I planned to do with it,” Steve grumbles as Eli grabs the necklace off Blinky. 

“You ready for this?” Eli asks softly just for Steve to hear. Holding up the necklace. 

Steve nods and Eli still hesitates. 

“Eli look at me. It’s gonna be ok. I’m gonna be fine. Trust me. I’ll tell you if anything feels off” Steven whispers grabbing the charm from his hands and pulling him in for a kiss. 

“Eww gro…OW!” Toby grumbles behind them. 

“Leave them be Wingman,” Aaarrrgghh says. 

But Eli wasn’t really focused on them. More on Steve and the fact that this could end so badly and it’ll be all Eli’s fault. 

“It’ll be ok” Steve whispers when he finally pulls away. 

“I trust you” Eli murmurs and slides off Steve’s lap, moving to stand beside Jim and Claire. 

Steve stands as well and slips the necklace over his head. 

Eli almost expects something, a flash of light, a bang but nothing happens. They all watch with bated breath. 

“Maybe it just takes longer for something to happen? How are you feeling Master Steve?” Blinky asks. 

“I feel like I just lost half my senses and that I couldn’t pick up Pepperbuddy if I tried” Steve mumbles as his skin turns pale. 

“It might be too much, maybe we only need a little bit” Eli murmurs. 

“Hey no I actually think this thing is doing wha…” Steve starts before his hand flies to his chest and he gasps. Or at least tries to. It’s like he stops breathing outright. 

“Please tell me this a joke” Toby mutters standing quickly. 

Before Eli can even reach for his bag to grab his inhaler, Steve hits the floor like a sack of bricks. His eyes rolling in the back of his head. 

“Call Mum” Jim yells as Toby as already pulling out his phone. 

Eli hits his knees and crawls towards Steve. Calling the blond’s name as he feels for his heartbeat. It was still there if faint. His face was already turning blue. 

“What’s wrong with him. Why isn’t he breathing!” Eli vaguely hears himself saying, maybe shouting. He has no true idea. 

All he knows is his panicking as Blinky kneels beside him. 

“Eli it’s gonna be ok” Toby murmurs but his hands are shaking as he watches Blinky start CPR. 

Once more his panic has him frozen in place and useless. Jim springs into action though and grabs the charm, ripping it off Steve’s neck and snapping the chain. He ditches it across the room just as a   
brutal sound rings out. One of Steve’s ribs cracking from the pressure Blinky was putting him under. 

A portal opens up, Claire and Ms Lake stepping through. 

She pulls an EpiPen from her pocket and stabs Steve in the leg all in one quick movement. 

Eli doesn’t know what truly does it but Steve takes a breathe and relief floods through him. Blinky lets out the breath he seemed to have been holding and sits back. 

“You broke one of his ribs but apart from that, he seems fine. He should wake up soon” Ms Lake murmurs confirming Eli’s theory when she checks Steve over.   
“It’s better to have a broken rib then a funeral,” Blinky says solemnly. Aaarrrgghh nodding his head in agreement. 

Once she’s done examining him, Ms Lake stands. 

“Normally I would suggest taking him to the hospital but I think they might be a little confused on how to treat a werewolf. Just make sure he keeps up his fluids and he gets some decent rest. His advanced healing should kick in soon and he’ll perfectly fine. Now I have a patient who ate a battery to get back to” She says looking down at her watch. 

“Thank you” Eli murmurs pulling Steve’s head gently into his lap so he can run his hands through the blonde’s hair. 

Claire makes a portal for her and she disappears. 

“Is there anything we can do Eli?” Jim asks. 

“Not unless you can time travel,” 

“Even that is impossible for the likes of us Master Elijah,” Blinky says not understanding Eli’s sarcasm. 

Toby goes to try and explain it but gives up after a few seconds. 

A quiet groan comes from Steve and all their eyes snap down to him. 

“Steve?” Eli asks quietly as Steve peels open his eyes. 

“Oh thank god” Jim mutters under his breathe. Moving to sit back in the armchair, pure relief pouring from him as he sighs. 

“Wha...What happened?” Steve asks voice thick. Eyes blinking a few times to adjust to the light. 

“You had an allergic reaction to the Wolfsbane but we had Ms Lake check you over and she said that you’ll be fine once your healing kicks in,” Toby says with a shrug.

Steve sits up and whimpers in pain, hand flying to his side. 

“I may have broken one of your ribs” Blinky murmurs almost looking sheepish. 

“Oh,” Steve says before turning to look at Eli and he turns pale again. “You’ve been crying” 

Eli hadn’t even noticed but with Steve pointing it out it just breaks him and he bursts into tears. Feeling stupid for doing so but not really caring at the moment. 

“I thought you were gonna die!” He cries before hugging Steve a little too hard and making him yelp in pain. 

“Ow, just uh might want to be careful of my side but I told you I was gonna be fine Baby. I always am. What’s a little allergic reaction anyways” Steve says hugging him back just as hard. 

“I shouldn’t have pushed you into doing this. It would have been my fault if you’d died,”

“You didn’t push me. I wanted this to work just as much as you did. It’s not your fault Peps.” Steve whispers just for him, rubbing his hand up and down Eli’s back. 

“Uh, I think we’re gonna go now. Give you two some privacy, Hope you feel better soon Palchuk” Jim mumbles. 

Eli hears the portal open and footsteps but he ignores them in favour of hiding his face in Steve’s shoulder. Not wanting the others to see him as such a mess. 

“They’re gone,” Steve says a few seconds later. 

Eli pulls away from him and wipes his eyes under his glasses. Still sniffling and struggling to keep his stupid crying in check. 

He feels Steve grab his hand and he can only watch as Steve puts his hand over Steve’s chest. A resounding thud hitting his palm every few seconds. Steve’s heartbeat. It felt faster than normal but Eli wasn’t sure if it’s cause Steve was trying to heal a broken rib or just the Varulv thing in general. 

At this point the fact that none of them barely knew anything about anything was starting to irritate him. They were running blind and Eli was terrified out of his mind. 

“Do you feel that? That’s means I’m alive and that means that everything is gonna be perfectly fine” Steve says before dragging the same hand up to his face and pressing a kiss to Eli’s palm. 

“Would you really be fine b-being like this for the rest of your life? Would you really be fine if there wasn’t a cure?” 

“Maybe in fifty years I might do everything under the sun to become human again but honestly some part of me loves this. It’s like I’ve gotten superpowers and if that comes with the price of being a   
monster once a month. Then so be it. I think I’m gonna enjoy the strength and healing though”

Eli looks for any signal that Steve is lying to him so he wouldn’t have to worry but he doesn’t find anything but sincerity. Steve believed everything he had just said. 

“You sure the pros are worth it?” 

“Ask me again after the first full moon,” Steve says half joking. His eyes giving away just how serious he is. 

His phone goes off then and Steve stands as he answers it. Surprise filtering over his face as he walks out of the room. 

Eli picks himself up off the floor and catches something out of the corner of his eye. The Wolfsbane charm was hanging off the lamp in the corner. He grabs it by the chain and moves to throw it in the bin but something makes him pause. 

Something’s telling him it might come in handy to have around. So instead he tucks it away in the bottom drawer in the kitchen. Hoping he never needs to use it. 

“So apparently Coach has convinced Mum to invite you over for dinner. So she can and I’m just quoting here ‘Make peace with the both of us’. I said no at first but she’s insisting so I told her I’d leave the choice up to you. You can say no” Steve explains when Eli enters back into the living room. 

Eli flops onto the couch as he thinks about. Not sure if he wants to deal with Lyn and her issues tonight but also knowing if he says no, he’ll probably just be causing more problems that Steve didn’t need to deal with. 

“How’s your rib?” He asks instead turning to look up at Steve, his glasses squishing into the side of his face. 

“Already healing. I think I’ll be good as new by tomorrow morning” 

Eli just nods before sighing and forcing himself to sit up. 

“I’ll go. I don’t need another reason for Lyn to hate me” Eli says. 

“She doesn’t hate you and you don’t have to go if it’s gonna make you feel uncomfortable. I mean I don’t really want to go” 

“It won’t make me feel uncomfortable and I pinkie promise to be on my best behaviour,” Eli says holding up said pinkie finger. 

“It’s not you, I’m worried about but ok. We should probably head over. The quicker we can eat the quicker you can escape” Steve says standing, looking resigned to his fate. 

Eli follows him, grabbing his phone and his keys on the way out the front door. Mentally preparing himself for whatever disaster was going to happen next. Whether it be Lyn or aliens abducting him cause at the moment that was starting to look like an option. One he’d gladly take right about now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. Here I go injuring my favourite characters again. Poor Eli. So close to a cure and yet so far away.


	18. A Disaster Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's official. This is the worst dinner in the world.

Elijah Pepperjack was currently regretting life in general as he sat under Lyn Palchuk’s penetrating gaze. 

Dinner was stressful, to say the least even as Coach tried every dad joke under the sun to lighten the mood. Only getting glares from his fiancee in return. Steve and Eli giving small, fake laughs in reply. 

“So Eli, Steve was telling me your thinking about going to Stanford?” Lyn starts. 

“Oh, um...yeah. I don’t know yet. I mean it’s a great opportunity but I’m not sure if it's for me yet.” He stammers out, pushing a fry around his plate. 

“What would you plan on majoring in if you went?” 

“Astrology, Aeronautics. That type of thing, I’ve always wanted to do something relating to space” He doesn’t dare bring up the fact that his been looking up into studying Mythology. That might no go down well. 

“I’ve always liked looking at the stars, always wondered if there were aliens out there” Coach says almost wistful. 

If only Coach knew what was under his feet. The man might actually have a heart attack.

“We’ve only discovered 13,000 light years away. I’m sure there’s definitely something out there. We just might not get to discover it within our lifetime” He explains. 

“Are you planning to try for a scholarship or are you going to take student loans?” 

“Mum can we not interrogate Eli. Please” Steve murmurs. 

“I’m not interrogating. Just asking. Can’t I ask what my son’s...b-boyfriend has planned for his future” 

Steve looks like he wants the ground to swallow him whole. Coach sharing the same sentiment. 

“I would be grateful to get a scholarship but with how much Mum makes I wouldn’t be viable. I’m planning on getting as many jobs as it takes though so it doesn’t all just fall on her. That’s the one thing I don’t want her to have to stress about.” Eli explains. 

“Good answer,” Lyn says even as her eyes remain narrowed and searching. 

“I thought so” He replies, not really wanting to deal with Lyn and her mild homophobia but he’d do it for Steve. To get Steve back on his mum’s good side. 

“You think Steve should keep trying for this football scholarship or you think he should go into business school?” 

Steve sets his knife and fork on his plate a little too harshly. Everybody eyes snapping to him as he sits back in his chair and crosses his arms. A scowl on his face. 

“Seriously we’re doing this again?” He asks. 

“What. Eli must have an opinion. Considering I”m sure his the one person at this table who knows you the best.” Lyn says, almost snidely and Eli has to hand it to her. She was smart, in a manipulative way. 

“Ahh and there it is. The reason you wanted him over here. So you could ask him to convince me that trying for the scholarship is useless. Not so you could actually get over the fact that I’m dating another guy” Steve snarls, looking absolutely livid. 

“I’m just trying to look out for you Stevey. What are you gonna do if you get injured? If you fail at football. I just need to know your future is stable. That you’re going to be able to look after your self and your wif...future family” Lyn stammers quickly trying so hard to cover her mistake but everybody had heard it. 

Coach had suddenly become very interested in the remains on his plate. Trying desperately to figure out how to change the topic. Eli was much of the same. Trying to figure out how to get out of this situation with the least damage possible. 

“Yeah sure that’s the word for it. Look, Mum, I know this is hard for you but I have to make my own choices. I’m not a kid. I know what I’m doing” 

“Well not even a week ago you didn’t even know you were...you still don’t know. If your that fickle with who you like what about your career. What if you change your mind” She says gesturing between Eli and Steve. 

“Do you remember nothing of when I was a kid. Of when I used to sit and watch hours and hours of football and when I told you that I was gonna be one of the most famous football players in the world. That hasn’t changed in nearly 15 years why do you think it’ll change now. Just cause I might be Bisexual!” Steve yells standing, hands shaking as he struggles to contain his anger. Chest heaving as a low growl fills the air. Eli reaches out a hand and grabs Steve’s, not needing him to do anything Wolfy at the moment. 

Steve sucks in a deep breathe and his eyes set into a hardened glare as he stares down at his mother. A look of shock and dismay on Lyn’s face. 

“That’s not even getting started on the fact that it doesn’t matter who I like and how long I’ve liked them but if you really want an answer. I’ve liked Eli for at least a year at this point, maybe more and the fact I did nothing isn’t because I was fickle. It’s because I was terrified out of my mind that if I asked Eli out and he said no. Then he’d stop being my friend and I was scared of losing him all together! So don’t pretend that you know me especially when you’ve never even bothered trying!” 

His voice is thick, growling as he tears into his mother and Eli grips his arm tighter. Steve turns to look at him and he huffs shrugging off Eli’s hand before turning and storming out of the room. 

“Steve, Get your butt back here and let's talk about this!” Coach calls standing as well but the front door slams a few seconds later and Coach sighs. 

Eli stands as well, looking at Lyn and before he can stop himself words are falling from his mouth. 

“If you don’t start trying to understand him then you're gonna lose him once he goes college and I know you don’t want that and I definitely know that he looks up to you. Your the strongest, most amazing person in his life and the fact that you can’t get over something as simple as Steve having a goal that doesn’t match with yours that’s destroying him inside. All he wants is for you to say how proud of him you are, how you’ll stick by him no matter what he chooses in life. Don’t throw your relationship with him away because you can’t be bothered understanding.” 

Coach looks surprised and Lyn chews on her bottom lip, not looking Eli in the eye. He turns to leave but a voice stops him. 

“What can I do, so start understanding?” 

Eli faces flutters into the smallest smile as he glances over his shoulder at her. 

“Come to his first game with me, help me cheer him on. It won’t fix everything straight away but it’s a start” 

“I-I’ll think about it” She murmurs and Eli nods. Knowing it was the best answer he could have gotten out of her. 

“Also thanks for dinner” He calls before exiting the house. Glad for the escape. He looks up and sees Steve’s shadow pacing back and forth in his bedroom window. 

His caught though for a second as he glances up at the moon and he sighs. It really was beautiful even if it was counting down the days until Steve would be different forever. Until he’d turn into a beast. 

But that was something Eli had noticed over the years, it was always the pretty things that were the deadliest. Steve Palchuk included. 

Eli finally gets his body back into gear, pulling his eyes away from the moon and he enters his house. Even from here he can hear Steve grumbling and muttering to himself. 

He climbs the stairs and enters his room. Steve stopping in his tracks and turning to look at Eli. 

“She always does this. Always. If it’s not her way then she doesn’t care” Steve grumbles. 

“How’s your side?” Eli asks knowing if he doesn’t change the topic that Steve will just continue on this rant for the rest of forever. 

“It’s fine...” Eli doesn’t quite believe him though and moves forward to poke him. “...Ow. Be careful. It said it was fine not that it had healed!” 

“Just had to make sure. Show me” Eli grumbles. 

Steve rolls his eyes but pulls his shirt off. Moving a little gingerly but not to impaired. 

“You just wanted to see my abs didn’t you,” He asks smirking down at Eli. 

“Don’t make me hurt you further.” 

There was bruising over his left side but it was already in the yellowing stage. Eli presses gently and Steve twinges a little but holds back the cry of pain. 

“So what’s the plan for tomorrow?” He asks looking up at his boyfriend, almost not wanting to take his hands off the other boy but he does so anyway as not to come off creepy. 

“I’m taking you on a date remember,” Steve says, eyes crinkling as he smiles. 

Eli nods. After everything that was going on, he had forgotten. The thought of it though immediately makes him perk up. He could do with just getting away and focusing on his favourite person. 

“And where are you taking me?” He asks casually. Remembering the very crappy hint Steve had given him. 

“That’s for me to know and you to find out Baby. I told you it’s a surprise.” Steve says grabbing his shirt and pulling it on. 

“But I hate surprises” Eli pouts. 

“I know but you’re going to love this...I hope” Steve murmurs wrapping his arms around Eli’s waist. Just seeming to want to hold him close. 

“I’m sure whatever it is I’ll enjoy it. It’s not anything sporty right? You may be able to bench three hundred now but I still have noodles arms” He waves said noodle arms as if to prove his point. 

Steve rolls his eyes even as he laughs. 

“I promise you it’s not a weight lifting competition. It’s a triathlon, gotta give the noodle legs a chance as well” 

“Ha Ha. You are the least funny person I know. Unless you know, you count your face” Eli chirps bopping Steve on the nose. 

“You love my face” 

“Yeah but I’m also like half blind so can you really trust me?” He asks smirking at Steve as he shrugs. 

“Oh really, you sure you don’t want to take that back Pepperjack?” Steve asks low. Voice sending shivers down Eli’s spine as the sly smile on his face makes Eli’s danger metre go off. 

“Uhhh no. I’m good” He says tempting fate anyway. 

Eli bursts into laughter when Steve drags his fingers up his sides. Squirming in Steve’s grasp as the blond tickles him. 

“You’re the worst!” He grumbles between laughter as he manages to step back a little. Only to hit the side of his bed and fall backwards. Grabbing Steve’s shirt on reflex. 

Steve goes with him, catching himself before he falls on Eli completely. 

“Jeez, you didn’t have to go and fall for me” He murmurs once they both realise they’re not gonna fall off the bed. Eli snorts out a laugh before he can help it. Pushing Steve’s face out of the way as he rolls his eyes. 

Steve snickers at his own joke before leaning down and capturing Eli in a soft kiss. The hand still on Eli’s waist tightening into a comforting grip that sends those tingles up his spine. Steve’s other hand moving to keep himself from putting to much weight onto the smaller boy.

Eli almost doesn’t know what to do with his hands and scrambles to wrap them around Steve’s neck, gripping at his shirt as the kiss deepens. 

Steve’s lips were soft against Eli’s own, his eyes sliding closed as he melts into the bed. The hand on his waist slowly slipping under his shirt and seeming to burn his skin. 

Surprise flitters through him when Steve’s licks across his lower lip but Steve doesn’t push. He more seems to be just exploring. Content it seems to just continue kissing Eli until his lungs exploded from pure joy. 

Steve was always so gentle with him, Even before the added strength. Like he was something delicate and intricate that could be broken with the slightest force. Always seemed to be looking out for ways to make Eli feels comfortable and safe and sure while it sometimes got on his nerves. Sometimes he didn’t mind it all that much. Like now. Enjoyed having someone willing to take the effort and the time to treat him in a way that made him feel safest he’d ever been 

That this Steve was the same from two and a half years ago. Blew Eli’s mind. Had anybody told him that he’d be here kissing the boy that had made freshman year absolute hell. He would have laughed in their face and called the nut house. 

That said boy was one of the most caring, nicest people he knew. It was insane but once you lived in a world of pure insanity where Trolls and Goblins were real, was it really that much of a stretch. 

Eli feels a moan pour from his throat when Steve pulls away to kiss down his jaw and he doesn’t even have it in him to turn red. He watches Steve move out of the corner of his eye.

“You ok?” Steve asks, sounding almost nervous and Eli nods. Not wanting Steve to stop doing this ever. Just let him go out like this. Let him die happy right now thanks. 

Steve nips gently enough as the corner of his jaw and it makes him suck in a breathe. Something else down lower starting to get very interested in the boy pressing kisses to the skin of his neck. 

But before he can really get into it Steve stills completely. The hand on his waist tightening almost painfully. 

“Steve” He mumbles out. 

“Sorry. Just uh, give me a minute” Steve growls out, voice thick as he draws in a deep breathe. Body shaking a little. 

“Can you look at me?” Eli asks softly and he feels Steve shift a little before two glowing, golden orbs are peering down into his own muddy brown ones. Steve’s eyebrows are creased as he takes in shattered breathes like he just ran a mile. 

“I think I just got a little too excited. Sorry, I don’t trust doing anything else. I don’t want to risk hurting you” He murmurs looking a little embarrassed. Cheeks slightly pink but Eli isn’t sure if that’s from the embarrassment or what they were just doing. Gold eyes starting to finally simmer back down. 

“It’s ok. We’re still working this thing out. We don’t have to do anything right now. We have all the time in the world ok” Eli says softly, reaching out a hand. 

Steve flinches but doesn’t move away completely when Eli runs a finger under his left eye.

“They really are pretty, can you feel when they change colour?” He finds himself saying as he stares into Steve’s eyes. The gold almost taking on a warm feeling to it as Steve stares back. His breathing finally evening out. 

“I wouldn’t say I could feel the change, it’s more suddenly everything comes into focus. Think of it like when you put your glasses on, everything is just suddenly sharp and brilliant.” 

Eli just nods along before watching as Steve takes one more deep breath and they finally melt back into the brown eyes that Eli loves. 

“You ok?” He asks. 

“Yeah, I think so. Sorry” Steve mumbles. 

“Like I said. This is all gonna take time to adjust to and that’s time we definitely have. There’s no rush and if you are never able to. Then that’s fine to” 

“I swear to god if being a werewolf means I have to stay a virgin for the rest of my life. I’m going to murder God when I see the asshole” Steve grumbles. 

Eli laughs a little and Steve mock glares at him. 

“You suffer to” 

“No, I was planning on having a side piece. Duh” Eli points out teasingly. 

“Oh really now?” Steve says raising an eyebrow. Grinning down at him.

“Yeah really. He’ll be like six for eight, part vampire, totally ripped, like a ten pack of abs” Eli gestures are he talks, half laughing by his own stupidity. 

“Well when you find him, share,” Steve says snickering out a laugh before seemingly just collapsing on Eli and squishing him into the mattress. 

Eli can’t even be bothered pushing him off. Instead, he pulls off his glasses and fights off another yawn. The day finally getting to him as he feels his eyes shut against his will. 

Somewhere in his sleep, he thinks Steve must have moved him so he was at least laying on the bed like a normal human being. His glasses placed on his bedside table. He wakes to Steve wrapped around him like normal. Blond head on his chest, right arm slung over his waist. 

It was still dark out, the moon seeming to glare ominously at him through his bedroom window. As well as a blurry ass orb of reflective rock can glare or be ominous that is. Still ticking down the days before Steve had his first shift. Only a week to go. A single week and they were no closer to finding a cure than when they started. 

And that wasn’t even stating the fact that he’d nearly killed Steve today. Nearly killed one of the best things to happen to him. All because he couldn’t accept the fact that this might be Steve’s life from now on. That there might never be a cure. 

He jams closed his eyes and blocks out the dark thoughts pushing on the back of his head. Feeling Steve shift and for a second he thinks the blond is waking up but he settles just a quickly. Letting out a soft breathe as he adjusts his grip on Eli’s shirt. He lets Steve’s weight calm him even if his right shoulder feels a little tingly and on it’s the way to being dead. 

But he doesn’t want to move Steve, feeling much like when a cat chooses to sit on your lap and if you move they’ll hate you for life. That and Steve looked far too cute to be disturbed and Eli was enjoying this way too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cockblocked by your own supernatural powers. What a bummer.


	19. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CLICHE AND LOVING IT.

Eli feels like he blinks and the sun is pouring into his window. Steve is gone, and Eli feels a giant grin forming on his face. Excitement and nerves bubbling in his stomach as he remembers today is their first date. 

A date with Steve Palchuk. 

Hark the day. He snickers at his own thoughts, pulling himself out of bed and grabbing his glasses. It was already 10. He hadn’t slept in this long in a while.

He showers, trying to do anything with his hair but getting frustrated when it still continues to stick all over the place. Forever part porcupine it seemed. 

Eli grabs the first two things from his closest, knowing if he put too much thought into it. Steve would be digging him out from under a giant pile of clothing in three hours after a mini mental break down. Not a great way to start the first date. 

“Hey you're in a good mood” His mother comments when he enters the kitchen. Turning on the coffee machine as he passes. 

“Yeah. Uh...Steve’s taking me on a date today” He says feeling pain flash through his cheeks as he grins like a moron. Reaching for the cornflakes cause as much as he believed Steve’s “Don’t eat breakfast” didn’t stop him from being hungry now. 

“Yes, I know. He was telling me about it this morning.” His mother says rolling her eyes even if Eli could see the smallest smile on her face. 

“Did he say anything else about it?” Eli asks pouring a crap ton of sugar into his coffee before sitting at the table and digging into his cereal. 

“Yes, but he also told me that it was a surprise and not to tell you. No matter how you whine” 

“Seriously. You won’t tell me anything?” 

“Just that I’m sure you’re going to have an amazing day and if he tries anything I will murder him in three different ways,” April says flashing him a too nice smile considering the threat before her phone goes off and she leaves the room to answer it. 

He just shakes his head. At least Steve was growing on her. It used to be eight times over. Three was pretty reasonable. 

He was rinsing his dishes off when his mother enters again, dressed for work. 

“Isn’t it your day off? If you even have those anymore?” He asks turning to face her properly. 

She looks so soul tired but gave him a reassuring smile. 

“Yes but they think they’ve found something on the guy that might have him incarcerated for life. Enjoy your day, text me when you leave and when you get home. Steve hurts you I’ll break him. Make sure he knows that. Love you” 

She presses a kiss to his forehead before leaving the room. 

“I’m sure he already does. Drive safe” He calls after her. 

That’s when he realises Steve had never specified a time so Eli had free time on his hands. He uses it to beat a few levels in Super Ninja Warrior 4. Deciding that today is a day he’ll refuse to think of anything supernatural. No Trolls, Varulvs, Goblins. Nothing. 

His halfway through level 18 when Steve knocks on the door and his heart nearly just bursts through his chest. He has no real reason to be nervous but he was anyway. 

Mind you he hadn’t exactly been on many dates. Not many gay kids went to Arcadia Oaks High and he’d rather eat a nail then even try dating anybody from Hallgrove. So his options had been limited from the get-go.

He stands and grabs Steve’s Letterman jacket, slipping it on considering the sky was still a slightly grumpy grey outside and even inside the house was a little cool. 

He opens the front door and almost just wants to die. Steve had somehow managed to outdo himself again and was slowly just killing Eli over time by sheer handsomeness. 

His hair somehow pulling off a put together messy look that Eli just wanted to play with. He wasn’t wearing anything special no fancy suit, nothing like that. Just slightly frayed jeans and a black button up. Looking more like he’d been forced into wearing a grey bomber jacket then actually wanting it there but he pulled off it off because of course, he did. 

“Of course you look amazing. S-should I go change into something else?” Eli grumbles suddenly feeling vaguely underdressed. In just his even worse for wear jeans and a t-shirt with a pea pod and the words “We come in Peas” on it. 

Steve just has the audacity to give him a small, slightly bashful smile. 

“You’re perfect I promise,” He says and Eli near just melts. 

He looks over Steve’s shoulder trying to spot his Vespa but it’s not there. 

“Are we walking?” He asks. Not that he cared either way. 

“No something even better. Come on” Steve says snagging his hand and barely giving him time to lock his front door. 

His pulled across the street and is stood in front of the garage door. 

“You got it working?” He asks and Steve nods like an enthusiastic puppy. It was adorable before he moves to yank up the door. 

There was a polished, washed beautiful dark blue car with two blue racing strips down the centre starting at Eli and compared to the hunk of junk that it had come in. He was proud of Steve and Coach for somehow getting it in shape let alone making it run again. 

“So what do you think? Coach finished detailing her today. It’s why I wasn’t around when you woke up. Wanted to make sure she was perfect for our date” Steve says barely containing his grin. 

“It’s awesome. Seriously” Eli says sharing Steve’s excitement even if he normally didn’t get cars. It was really a beautiful car. Worth all the effort that had been put into it. 

Steve guides Eli around to the passenger seat and opens the door for him. New car smell hitting him in the face as he slides in. The interior was all dark leather and Eli knew that Steve was gonna love this car with every fibre of his being. 

Steve slides into the driver's seat and Eli watches him have trouble doing anything else but look at everything in awe. 

“You’re drooling” He points out. 

Steve turns to look at him and he pulls on a lazy smirk. 

“It’s not the car I’m drooling over,” He says making a point to drag his eyes up Eli’s body. 

Eli goes flustered even if he knows that Steve is just being a smart ass. 

“Just start the car already you horrible Varulv” He grumbles hiding his face behind his hands. So Steve can’t see his red as a tomato. 

Steve laughs and Eli hits him in the shoulder. 

“Horrible” He repeats as he watches Steve push the key into the ignition and turns it. 

The car growls to life and Eli wishes he had his phone out to capture the look on Steve’s face. Like someone just told him he won a million bucks. 

He pulls out onto the driveway, seeming to test the car. Making sure it doesn’t just randomly break down in the middle of the road. He ducks out of the car to close to garage door and Eli takes those few seconds to take a solid, few deep breaths. Preparing himself for whatever the hell was about to transpire. 

The car holds out pretty well. Eli can feel the car rumble beneath him as they make their way through the outskirts of the city. 

“So where are we going...actually more important how’s your rib?” Eli finally asks. 

“I guess I can tell you if you ask nice enough and I’m completely healed. One hundred percent dandy and fine” Steve says even going so far to poke himself in the side. 

“That’s good and I guess that means I’ll have to wait then,” Eli says crossing his arms. Smiling teasingly.

Steve pouts. 

“You’re no fun but fine I’ll tell you. I'm too excited to wait. I found my sperm donor’s old telescope a few weeks ago and I thought I’d take you to star-gaze or something like that. If you don’t like it though I have like three backup plans” 

Eli realises then that Steve must be just as and if not more nervous then Eli. That he wanted this to go perfectly. 

“I mean we can go to the movies or go and eat somewhere or...” 

“Star-gazing sounds amazing. I promise I’m gonna love it” He says cutting of Steve’s slightly panicked rambling. 

He relaxes and nods. Taking a deep breath before flashing Eli a smile.

“I also talked to Mum this morning. I don’t know what you said to her but she was actually trying to be helpful. It was interesting, to say the least” Steve says as they pull out onto the road leading up to the outlook. 

“Just told her that she shouldn’t miss out on her kid's life because she can’t get over your life choices,” He says with a shrug, cheeks feeling warm. 

“Well thank you for whatever you did. Might do her some good to have someone else tell her how blind she can be.” 

They don’t really talk after that and Eli just enjoys the silence and the scenery. Spring slowly starting to take over the world again. Trees gaining back their leaves and flowers starting to grow. It was all very picturesque and lovely. 

They pull up at the outlook a short while later and Steve turns off the car. Both of them take a few seconds of awkward silence to gather their thoughts. Just taking in the fact that this is actuallyhappening.   
This is an actual thing, Steve Palchuk is taking him on a date. A fact his sure he won’t get over for at least a few years. 

“I need you to do me a favour,” Steve says startling the silence. Eli whips his head around.

“Sure, What?” He asks. 

“Close your eyes and don’t open them until I say so” 

“This isn’t where you release the brakes and send me careening over the edge of the cliff right?” He asks sceptically. He watches Steve just die a little on the inside as his stupid question. 

“My god you're weird. No Peps I have no plans to kill you or the gorgeous car I just spent the past year dealing with Coach to get. I promise I like you far too much to kill you" Steve says shaking his head a little as what Eli makes him put up with. 

“Ok. Good and you like my weirdness” 

“Yes I do, now close your eyes. No peeking” Steve orders before pressing a kiss to Eli’s cheek and getting out of the chair. 

Eli even puts a hand over his eyes to stop the temptation as the car rocks a little. Steve doing something in the trunk of the car. He thinks maybe five minutes pass when his door opens and his being poked in the cheek. 

“You can open your eyes now Pepperdork” Steve murmurs right in his ear. 

He takes his hand away from his face and blinks open his eyes, adjusting to the afternoon light. The sun starting it’s decent over towards the west. Casting a bright glow onto the town before them. 

Steve grabs his hand and pulls him from the car and his greeted with the most cliche scene you can imagine. It’s amazing. A picnic blanket has been rolled out on the grass, a giant picnic basket sitting on it. The telescope set up a few feet away. 

“It’s perfect. I love it” Eli says and the nervous look Steve had on his face changes to one of relief and pure joy. 

“Mum helped with the food, she ended up telling me to sit down before I cut off a finger...hey you think I can grow limbs back now?” Steve asks wiggling his fingers. 

“You’re a werewolf, not a were-lizard,” Eli says as they both move to sit on the picnic blanket. Eli taking a moment to enjoy the cheese of it all. 

“It’s a possibility. I could so pull off being a were-lizard. I’d be like Curt Connors” 

“And what would that make me?” Eli asks. 

“Well every bad guy has to have the good guy they have weird mixed feelings and you’d make a pretty killer Spider-man” Steve explaining, grinning stupidly as he starts pulling things from the basket. 

“If I was Spider-man wouldn’t that make you more like my Gwen or Mary?” He points out as he catches the plastic plate that Steve throws at him. 

“Hey, I’d pull off the red hair.” 

“No...I don’t think that true. Maybe you should stick with the blond it at least gives people a warning of what they're dealing with” Eli says snickering and Steve rolls his eyes as he unwraps a quiche that the sight of alone makes Eli’s stomach grumble. 

“You wound me. Maybe you should make up for it by kissing me better” Steve pouts.

“I think I can handle that”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How? How do people write dates? OMG. I think I suffered over this chapter for a solid while but I hope you enjoy it. 
> 
> Also let me know if you guys would potentially like bi-weekly updates?


	20. Star Gazing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A afternoon to relax.

Eli watches as the sun prepares its decent, full as a boot and struggling to do anything more than stare at Steve gooey eyed. 

“OH!” Steve says suddenly before standing up and bolting back to the car. 

They had turned it back on earlier and let quiet music filter over the outlook. Eli thinks it’s one of Post Malone’s new song but his never been good with modern music. 

Eli watches Steve grabs something from behind his seat before coming back towards Eli. The item hidden behind his back. 

“I know it's not the same but I’m sure you’ll get just as much use out of it as the last one” Steve mumbles before pulling said thing from behind his back. 

It was a journal. A leather bound one with intricate carving over the front of it. Runes that even Eli didn’t understand, a silver clasp holding it together. 

“You didn’t have to...” Eli starts as he reaches out and grabs it off Steve. It was beautiful. He turns it over in his hands and flips it over. The pages were thicker than his last journal and more rough-edged. 

“Uh, Blinky helped me with it. Said that a nuke could go off and it would remain unscratched...scathed...something along those lines. So that way what happened last time can’t happen again. And it’s also ever expanding. Meaning you shouldn’t ever run out of writing room” 

Eli tackles the blond into a bear hug. Seriously when had Steve had time to do any of this between everything else that was going on. 

“It’s amazing thank you. You really shouldn’t have. I don’t have anything to give you” He murmurs pulling back just enough so he can see Steve’s face. Freckles lighting up in the afternoon sun. 

“I’m glad you like it and you don’t have to pay me back. I wanted to try and get your original journal fixed but Blinky said it was ruined beyond repair. So this was like the next best thing” Steve says somehow managing to look adorable and small even as he encompassed Eli’s entire frame. 

“I feel like I’m not living up my end of the bargain. You're doing all these amazing things and I don’t have anything to give in return” 

“It doesn’t work like that Peps. You give me a lot even if you don’t realise it. You don’t know how much that stupid smile you have when you’ve figured out something affects me. It drives me crazy and makes me feel like I could take on a million bad trolls.” 

Eli tries to stop the words from coming out but they slip out anyways as he moves out of Steve’s grip. Sitting back a little. 

“Why me?” 

“Why not you?” Steve says smoothly. He doesn’t even hesitate. 

“Because I’m a mess of a human being” Eli mutters. 

“And you think I’m doing much better. I could ask you the same question you know.” 

Eli doesn’t know what to say to that. So instead he waits for Steve to speak again. 

“If you could the way I saw you, you wouldn’t have a doubt in your mind why I fell for you” Steve murmurs looking at him so sincerely that his chest almost aches. 

“W-what do you see when you look at me?” Eli asks fiddling with the clasp on his journal. 

“I see this amazing guy who doesn’t take no for an answer, who keeps getting up and telling the world to go and fuck itself every time it tries to push you down. Who is so smart and amazing and funny and even before I realised I liked you a lot more than just a friend, I knew I was one of the luckiest people in the world to have you on my side and you’re pretty cute as well, that definitely helps.” 

Steve even winks at him and Eli laughs a little. 

“You’re pretty cute yourself Palchuk” He throws out before he can choke on his words. 

“I am not cute. I am handsome, rugged, bold but no way am I cute” Steve denies, chest puffing out. Flexing his arms and grinning like a moron.

“I have photos that prove otherwise. It’d be a shame if anybody else was to see them, I think the tagline should read ‘Cutest Quarterback In Arcadia Oaks High’ when I post it on Facespace,” Eli chirps opening his photo album on his phone as he speaks and edits one of the photos of Steve half asleep with the dopiest smile on his face as he looked at Eli. 

“You wouldn’t dare,” Steve says voice going an octave higher scrambling for the phone but Eli stands and backpedals. Sticking out his tongue at the blond as he laughs. 

Steve’s eyes narrow and he stands as well. Looking more like he's getting ready to run a goal home then try and take Eli’s phone. 

“Post that photo and your walking home Pepperjack!” Steve grumbles. 

“What this photo?” Eli says showing Steve the phone. 

Steve dives for him and Eli laughs as he moves out of the way. Watching the giant grin form on Steve’s face even as he tries to hold desperately onto his annoyed look but it last maybe half a second more before Steve can’t hide it anymore. 

“You want the photo come and get it” Eli jeers, cheeks almost hurting as he struggles to contain his laughter. Shaking the phone in Steve’s direction. 

Steve pounces after him and Eli back peddles with a laugh. He gets half away around Steve’s car before his caught and pressed against the door. Two thick arms caging him in and pinning him to the car. 

“Give me the phone Eli,” Steve says voice low and Eli gulps when it sends lighting zipping up his back. His face is so close that Eli can see the golden flecks in his eyes. Can see the faintest freckles on the bridge of his nose. 

“I don’t know. What do I get in return?” He asks, a little breathless from running around like an idiot. Shoving the hand with the phone behind his back to try and stop Steve from forcing it away from him. 

“I don’t tickle you to death?” 

“Hmm. Nope” Eli says shaking his head and struggling so hard to contain his smirk.   
He was enjoying this a little too much. 

Steve seems to think for a second before his eyes light up. 

“I can think of something” He murmurs before his leaning in. Eli’s brain jams to a halt as Steve kisses him softly but with the tiniest hint of power beneath. That was like everything Steve did though, gentle with just the smallest hint that he could break everything he touched. 

Eli practically melts against the blond, head falling back against the passenger side window as Steve deepens the kiss. His tongue swiping past Eli’s bottom lip. Not pressing more exploring. 

Before Eli can stop it, a small moan slips out and he flames bright red but it just causes Steve to kiss him harder. Hands moving from caging him in, to sitting on his waist and Eli is flush with the blond and yet somehow still pressed against the car. 

Finally, though he needs to breathe or his just gonna faint on Steve. That would be incredibly embarrassing and definitely something Steve would take great joy in reminding Eli of every chance he got. 

He pulls away and Steve lets him go, drawing a deep breath of his own. 

“I think you definitely earned that phone,” He says softly and Steve scoffs out a laugh before kissing Eli quickly and stepping back holding up Eli’s phone. A cocky smirk on his face. 

“What phone?” He asks and that’s when Eli realises his been played. He hadn’t even felt it leave his hand, to preoccupied with his neck upwards. 

“You’re gonna pay for that” Eli grumbles. 

“Am I now?” Steve asks slyly and Eli nods. 

“Not now but I will get you back for this. Mark my words Palchuk. I never forget a transgression so I’d watch my back if I was you” 

“I’m pretty sure I can make you forget it pretty quickly” 

“I think you lost kissing privla…” Eli gets cut off with Steve’s lips on his again and he hates a little how easily he sinks into the kiss. Kissing Steve back with probably a little too much gusto but he really, really doesn’t care and neither apparently does Steve. 

Which does fine by him. 

After they break away from each other, Eli watches Steve consume the leftovers from their picnic before laying across Eli’s legs. 

“I could have a nap now” He murmurs stretching, back cracking before settling and smiling up at Eli. 

Eli chuckles and uses Steve’s stomach as a desk to start filling in his new journal. 

The first page turned into a sketch of the scenery before him. The sun starting to set over the horizon, the town starting to already light up. 

“I’ll have to thank Lake for giving me the perfect spot to take you” Steve mutters a few minutes later. 

“Wait…you actually went to Jim for dating advice? Are you feeling ok?” Eli teases, even going so far to press his hand against Steve’s forehead. 

“Har Har. Funny but yeah I went to Lake for help. I just wanted to make sure I did something you’d like” Steve says batting his hand away even as his cheeks go red. 

“Well you did good but I think it’ll be way more fun watching you try to thank Jim for anything” 

Steve rolls his eyes and pinches Eli in the side causing him to laugh again. So he leans down and steals a kiss. 

“Thank you for today. It’s been nice” He murmurs meaning every single word. 

“It hasn’t even gotten to the best part yet. You still have to show me just how many constellations fit in that giant brain of yours” Steve murmurs before his eyes are falling shut. Food coma taking him. 

Eli just uses the quiet time to fill in the rest of the drawing. Wondering if every day could be like this. Perfect in such a subtle way and Eli knew that he’d never forget this day as he watches the sun finally dip behind the buildings and disappearing from sight. Stars coming to life above him and filling the night sky. 

It felt amazing just to be a normal kid for once. Not have to worry about anything but the guy sprawled over his lap, snoring softly and seeming so at peace with the world even when it had thrown him the biggest god damn curve ball it could. 

It finally gets too dark to continue the drawing and Eli’s leg was starting to go dead from where Steve was laying on it. So he runs his hand through Steve’s hair slowly and murmurs his name. 

Steve grumbles in his sleep before slowly blinking open his eyes and yawning as he stretches. 

“Mmm. Think I can get used to waking up like this...What’s the time?” He asks voice thick once he gets his bearings. 

“Time for you to get off me before my leg falls off” Eli replies pushing Steve in the shoulder. 

Steve grumbles about being comfy but forces himself to move. He gets to his feet and holds out a hand to Eli who takes it and is yanked to his feet as well. 

Steve then moves over to his car and turns the lights on dimly, casting an almost eerie light over the outlook. 

“Just so you don’t trip over anything” He explains. Eli can’t even be offended cause it’s a smart idea. 

It takes a few minutes to get the telescope in working order but finally Eli’s pointing out Virgo and Leo to Steve. Who tries to see them but comes up empty. 

“Alright look right here for a big star and three stars on top of it” Eli murmurs low. 

“I think...Oh yeah. I see it. I think. It looks like you when you fell down the stairs last year” 

“Jeez, thanks for reminding me” Eli grumbles. Eli honestly didn’t remember it, apparently, he’d hit his head on the way down. Now he just as a scar somewhere on the nape of his neck where he’d hit it. 

All he remembers was talking to Claire and then waking up in the nurse's office with his mother and Steve staring down at him concerned. He’d been off school for three days due to a concussion and Steve had annoyed him the entire time until he finally snapped and not so polite words told him to go away and actually go to school, instead of skipping to make sure he was ok. Not needing to be doted on. 

They spend the next hour in a happy little bubble, Eli pointing out every constellation he can think of. Steve finally getting the hang of finding them. 

“So which one is your favourite?” He asks. 

Eli mulls over the question before finally getting his answer and he aims the telescope towards it. 

“Lyra or the Lyre. Basically, there was this great musician Orpheus was gifted the Lyre by Apollo. The sun god and he played the most beautiful music until his wife died. Then he disappeared into a dessert until he was killed and the Lyre ended up in a river. So Zeus not wanting such an amazing gift to be lost forever, sent his Eagle down to retrieve it and place it in the stars” 

When he doesn’t get a response from Steve. He turns to look at him. 

“God your such a nerd” Steve murmurs and it’s not an insult. Quite the opposite actually and Eli smiles. 

“Told you I like space” 

“I beli...” Before Steve can finish his sentence. The world goes dark and the music cuts out. Hello, horror movie setting. 

Eli’s danger metre spikes through the roof as he struggles to get his crappy eyes to adjust to the darkness. 

“It’s ok. The car battery is still a little funky. Something must have loosened” Steve says simply, grabbing Eli’s hand and pulling him along. 

“Careful,” Steve says catching him when he trips over something he can’t see. “I need to steal your phone's flashlight” 

Eli nods and pulls his phone from his pocket, feeling stupid for not grabbing it in the first place. Light suddenly fills the outlook as Steve gets the bonnet up. Sliding off his jacket and throwing it over the car door, rolling up the sleeves on his shirt. 

Eli takes the tiniest second to admire his boyfriend, even in the dim lighting. 

Eli leans over Steve’s shoulder as he returns with a small toolkit and starts fiddling with something in the engine bay. 

“Alright, you can turn off the flashlight. It’s hindering more than helping” Steve grumbles a few minutes later. 

Eli does so and then watches as Steve goes still for a second before two golden orbs fill his face. He blinks a few times and then gets back to work as if the flashlight was still on.

“You can control it?” He asks surprised. 

“Sorta. At least I think I’m getting the hang of it when I’m not dealing with feelings that is” Steve mumbles, voice distant. More focused on the engine then anything else. Obviously hoping not to bother Coach. 

“Go and see if she starts...wait you know how to get a manual to start right?” 

“Surprisingly yes,” Eli says stumbling his way over to the door and sliding into the driver's seat. 

It thankfully starts on the first try and he sees Steve’s hands fist into the air before moving to fiddle with something as Eli gets out of the car. Watching as Steve cleans his hands as best as he can with a rag, golden eyes gone with the resurgence of the headlights. Even as his eyes do that funky cat, reflective thing that Eli finds unnerving. 

They pack up once Steve has most of the grime off his hands and his sure the car isn’t going to just die on the freeway. Eli lasts barely five minutes in the car before his out cold. 

“Hey Pepperbuddy, we’re home” Steve murmurs softly, shaking his shoulder gently. 

“Don’t want to get up” Eli grumbles even as he opens his eyes to see his in Steve’s garage. 

Steve laughs quietly. 

“I’m not carrying you. Up you get. Come on” 

“You so would carry me if I asked” Eli points out as he drags himself from the car. Making sure to grab his new journal as he goes.

“Probably.” Steve murmurs, grabbing his hand and pulling him across the street. 

By the time they get there, Eli is awake enough to function. 

“Did you have a good time? Was it ok?” Steve asks softly. 

“So ok. I had such a good day. Thank you, for everything” Eli murmurs, tiredness making him mumble even more than normal as he holds up the journal. 

“Your welcome. I”m glad you enjoyed. Really glad” Steve says and he suddenly comes off as nervous again. Almost shy. It was completely and utterly adorable. 

So Eli takes the wheel and steps close. Tugging on Steve’s shirt so he doesn’t have to try and grow three inches. Steve leans down a little to help him and he kisses his boyfriend softly. Only a quick kiss or else his just gonna fall asleep on Steve and that’s not something his sure his embarrassment metre can handle.   
“Thank you again. Seriously.” He whispers when he pulls away. Faces mere centimetres away from each other for a few more seconds. 

“Stop thanking me dork and go to bed. I’ll talk to you tomorrow ok.” Steve says ruffling his hair and Eli watches him walk away. Disappearing into the garage and closing the door. 

Eli finally unlocks the front door to his house and slips inside before leaning against the door. A dopey, stupid smile on his face as he lets the day run through his head over and over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured my boys could do with a chance to relax for a minute before more chaos ensues.


	21. Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'm not a monster"

Eli wakes to someone poking him in the cheek. 

“Seriously Steve.” He grumbles batting away the hand. 

“No it’s Toby, your mother let us in when she left for work”

He sighs but forces open his eyes. Reaching out his hand again to search for his glasses. He hits skin instead and Toby grumbles in pain. 

“Sorry” He mumbles before finally finding his glasses and sitting up. 

Toby shrugs as he forces himself to his feet as Eli runs a hand through his hair. Trying unsuccessfully to flatten down the locks but to no avail. 

“What’s up?” He asks once he realises Toby isn’t the only person in his room. Jim and Claire are there as well. Claire had her head in a book. Once more reading over something they had gone through a million times, hoping to find something they had missed. 

Jim was looking at the photos on his cork board. 

“Still one of the best days of my life” Jim murmurs pointing to the photo of the Reckless Club the day it was formed. Nostalgia filling his voice. 

“Uh, we’re here to discuss plans. Where to put Steve. What’s going to happen on the Full Moon” Claire points out not even looking up from the book. 

“Shouldn’t Steve be here for this?” 

“Yeah, probably but we thought that you can go and wake him up. I don’t want to die today” Toby murmurs. 

“Oh, your such a baby” Eli grumbles before reaching for his phone and calling Steve. 

“Hey, What’s up Peps?” He gets a few seconds later. Steve’s voice was quiet and soft. 

“I’ve been invaded by annoying Trollhunters, can you come over they want to discuss plans,” Eli asks. 

“Sure give me five,” Steve says and Eli hears him get out of bed before hanging up. 

“So how are you two going? I heard you had a date yesterday” Toby asks. 

“Yeah, we’re good. Better than good really” Eli says, a small smile filling his face as yesterday comes back to him. How amazing it had been. 

A thud sounds then and Eli sighs. 

“What was..” Claire starts but her question is answered with Steve slides open the window. 

“Show off” Eli gripes as Steve climbs into the room. 

“You know it. So have any of you thought of anything yet cause I’ve got nothing” Steve asks moving over to sit beside Eli on the bed before adjusting so he was laying his head on Eli’s lap instead. Legs hanging off the end of the bed. 

He had pulled on jeans and a shirt but his hair was still a mess from sleep. Eli reaches out subconsciously to try and straighten some of the locks. Liking the feeling of Steve’s hair between his fingers. So soft and fluffy. 

“Uh we’ve talked to Vendel but his refusing to put any of the trolls in harm's way because of a “Rabid dog’” Jim explains looking sheepish at the name Vendel had used. 

“It’s ok. We’ll figure out something else. Somewhere else” Eli says and for once he actually believes his own words. Steve grabs Eli’s hand and just holds it to his chest, rubbing circles into Eli’s skin. 

“But something else had come up. We kinda have another commitment on the Full Moon. My first game is then and scouts are coming. ” Steve points out looking over at the Trio. 

Eli mentally facepalms. He’d completely forgotten. 

“Another commitment. I think the whole you turning into an eight-foot canine is a pretty big commitment already dude” Toby points out. 

“Yeah but this one is more aimed at making sure I have a future” Steve huffs, 

“If you tear apart the entire school when you go all Derek Hale on their asses then you won’t have a future. You’ll be in area 51, having your insides poked!” Toby grumbles back. 

Eli goes to say something. To defend his boyfriend but Steve arks up before him. 

“I can control it. It’s my choice if I want to play or not. I won’t hurt anybody” 

“Well as a Trollhunter and one of the protectors against bad guys. Furries included. I think that it’s a terrible idea” 

“Yeah, Dumbzalski tell me how you really feel. Bad guy huh? You just want a reason to hate me. What’s fucking better than turning into an actual monster!” Steve yells back. Shoulders tense as he stands and gets in the redheads face. 

He towers of Toby but Toby doesn’t back down. Both of them too bull-headed. 

“You already were a monster, at least you have a form that fits now!” Toby spits. 

“Toby, that was way too far” Claire murmurs in shock. Eli’s and Jim’s mirroring one another. Jaws on the floor. 

“It’s not nothing he doesn’t know himself” Toby sneers before turning and storming out of Eli’s room. 

“I think it’s time for you guys go. I’ll call you later and we can discuss this more” Eli says suddenly. Knowing that if Jim and Claire don’t clear out there’s gonna be carnage they don’t want to see. That Steve wouldn’t want them to see. 

“Are you sure?” Claire asks, closing the book and tucking it under her arm. 

“Yes,” Eli says voice coming out more like an order than a request. 

“Alright. Well call us if anything comes up ok” Jim says before he and Claire disappear from the room. 

Eli swallows the lump in his throat as he watches Steve shake. He comes over hoping to calm Steve down but what he sees shocks him. Tears dripping down Steve’s set jaw. 

“I’m not a monster” Steve growls low and thick. Turning to look down at Eli. Sadness, anger, a little betrayal even. 

As much as Steve liked to preach that the Trollhunters were Eli’s friends. They were still his friends as well and what they thought mattered. 

“No your not. Your the furthest thing from one. Toby was just being a bullheaded moron.” Eli murmurs before grabbing Steve’s first hand and rubbing his thumb across the back of it until Steve’s hand unclenches.

Eli slots their fingers together as Steve gets his other hand to move, to wipe down his face. 

“Do you think it’s a stupid idea to play? You think I’ll hurt someone?” Steve mumbles, sniffling a little. 

“I don’t know. I know how important this scholarship to you but we also have to think about the fact that you might not be able to play without transforming. But, this is your potential future career and I’m not gonna let it slip through your fingers because we were all scared that you’re changing. So I say play. We’ll set up back up plans. Plan Zs if we have to” 

“Plan Z. I think you mean putting down the rabid dog” Steve says giving a dark laugh. 

“No, I mean finding a way for the whole town, the world even to forget that they didn’t see a giant Varulv on the field. The Trollhunters and anybody else that tries to hurt you will have to go through me first” 

“Should I point out the noodle legs?” Steve asks. Tears drying up as he continues to sniffle. Giving a half-hearted wet laugh. 

“Should I point out that I dealt with your grumpy ass for years before you got it in your head you could be nice. Trollhunters are nothing.” Eli says crossing his arms and staring Steve straight in the eye. 

Hell, he’d take Aaarrrgghh head on if the big oaf even tried to lay a hand on Steve. There wasn’t a single doubt about it. He’d defend Steve to the ends of the earth even if he was the only one that believed Steve was the good guy. Even if Steve himself doubted.

“I know,” Steve says like he can read Eli’s thoughts and Eli hugs him quickly. His distracted though when his stomach grumbles. 

Steve laughs a little. 

“How aren’t you the size of a house?” He asks and Eli shrugs. 

“Fast metabolism. Now come I think bacon and eggs are in order” He says grabbing Steve’s hand and dragging him downstairs. 

They work together to gather breakfast. Steve focusing on the toast as to not burn down the kitchen. Though Eli’s pretty sure if you gave him enough time he’d figure out a way with just the spatula. Home Economics had been an interesting class, to say the least. 

They have a stress free day, sitting on the couch as Eli fills in more of his journal. Making up a new fact sheet on what they knew about Varulv’s so far. Watching trash Tv in the background as Steve does a little more studying. 

Steve falls asleep against Eli’s leg, his own homework boring him enough to send him to sleep. Eli doesn’t wake him and instead jots down the fact that Steve has been sleeping more in the past few days. Body probably preparing for his first shift. 

Eli starts scribbling down a list of things they would need. Water, spare clothing, tranquillisers (hoping to magically stumble across the Original Varulv, not to be used on Steve). A million snack bars for Steve the next morning considering he’d probably be as hungry as ever. Chains potentially charmed to last longer. 

That’s gonna be a weird trip to the home depot. “Ah yes, please guide me to the strongest chains you have available. Why do you ask? Cause my boyfriend is gonna turn into a super strong werewolf and it’s totally not for anything sexual like your thinking!” 

His mother comes home around lunchtime. 

“Hey, Sweetie. How’s your day been?” She whispers, glancing down at Steve.

“Yeah. Good. Your home early” 

“That’s cause I have news. We finally got the guy. Found his gun stashed under the panelling in his trunk. Fingerprints and everything” His mother says grinning. 

“That’s awesome Ms P,” Steve says startling Eli. He looks down to watch Steve yawn widely before peeling open a single eye. 

“Thank you, Steve. Sorry I didn’t mean to wake you. Are you getting enough sleep at home, your starting to looking vaguely like the racoon’s that haunt our trash cans.”

“Yeah. I’m good thanks” Steve mumbles, still seeming to fight off falling back asleep. 

“Well don’t let school stress you out to much” 

“Oh, I think he has that part covered” Eli chirps, Steve tapping him half-heartedly in the leg. No, it was just everything he was stressed about. 

“How about you, You sleeping enough Elijah?” His mother asks. 

“Yeah. Full six hours and everything” He says. 

“You should still try and get to bed a little earlier. Growing boys need more sleep than average. Don’t make me get Ms Lake to explain it to you” 

“Yes, mum,” Eli says and she nods ruffling his hair before leaving the room. He hears her on the stairs before her door snicks shut. 

“Your mum’s awesome” Steve mumbles before falling back asleep again and Eli breathes out a quiet laugh. That she was.

Toby avoids Steve the next day at school. Even choosing to sit at another table at lunch altogether. 

The only ones sitting at their table were Jim, Claire, Eli and Steve. Jim and Claire only here so they could discuss plans even if it was going in circles now. 

“So I was thinking. Since the other Varulv will be running around as well. What about horse tranquillisers. Something strong enough to bring down a bear.” Eli asks. Picking off Steve’s plate and laughing when Steve glares at him before sighing. 

“You’re lucky I like you, or I’d eat that hand” He grumbles. Eli just scrunches his nose up at the boy and steals another tater tot. 

“The problem would be getting close enough to inject it” Jim points out and Eli nods. 

“Well, wouldn’t it be looking for me? I mean to check on its new Varulv or whatever” Steve asks. 

“We don’t know. It could think your dead. Or it just could not care in general” Jim rebuts. 

“Right of course,” Steve says before shoving half of his leftover burger in his mouth. 

“Have we thought of anywhere out of the way. Secluded but close to school. So we can get Steve there in time?” Eli asks looking away from his animal of a boyfriend and at Jim and Claire, Who look just as clueless as him. 

“We’ve looked but nothing where we can really keep him caged in. I tried talking to Vendel again but he told me if I asked once more. ‘I’d know what it was like to have the Heartstone inside me’. I don’t want to figure out what he means” Jim says mimicking Vendel’s voice before his eyes grow haunted. 

“Could we get him on the Gyre maybe?” Claire suggests. 

“Yes because that’s a genius idea. Transforming werewolf on insanely fast moving transportation. We’d probably end up losing him in Zimbabwe or something” 

Eli finds he almost wants to smash his head against the wall. End his suffering. Why the hell did this have to be so hard? There had to be somewhere in all of Arcadia that could deal with a werewolf. If Trolls could run around and be themselves there surely had to be a square metre somewhere in Arcadia that they could put Steve.

Suddenly it hits him. 

“The Janus Order! Could we put him there?” 

“Uhhhh no. We might have destroyed the place last time we were there. There’s no way we can get it in working order before Saturday” Jim stammers, not looking anybody in the eye. 

“Do you guys ever not destroy a place that you’ve been?” Steve asks. 

“That would be a solid no” 

Claire and Jim look like they’re dealing with a great many flashbacks that Eli is grateful not to be able to share them. Already warring with some of his own. 

“FIGHT. FIGHT. FIGHT!” Suddenly rings out and the entire table turns to see a crowd of people in the middle of the cafeteria. 

Eli wonders if there wouldn’t be a day in this high school without somebody getting into a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Steve. Toby you butt.


	22. Friend Turned Foe.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the fight at school, Eli needs to escape and why not multitask by getting a few things done in preperation.

Steve is already moving, Jim not far behind him. Eli and Claire share a look before catching up to the boys as Steve just barges his way through the crowd. 

Eli appears beside him and watches Sherman and Flinn tear into one another. Going punch for punch. 

Steve steps into the ring that had formed around the duo and the crowd starts murmuring. Waiting for Steve to hit or rip someone to shreds. 

Flinn and Sherman don’t even seem to notice. To keen in trying to turn the other into a human punching bag. 

Steve sets his shoulders though and grabs Sherman by the shirt. Yanking him back out of the way of Flinn’s next hit. Before snagging Flinn’s shirt as well and pulling him to a halt. 

“Knock it off before I knock your heads together!” Steve yells, voice coming out loud. Commanding the entire attention of the cafeteria. Everybody falling silent as all eyes are set on Steve. 

“Everybody who isn’t on my team or who I can just barely tolerate. Fuck off to class!” Steve snarls and the crowd flees for it.

It’s almost comical as people scramble to resume eating or indeed, going to class. 

Coach bursts into the cafeteria just as the last few people resume eating only to look on in surprise. 

“I see you have it covered,” He says simply, looking impressed with Steve before crossing his arms and stepping back. The only thing that he seemed to be missing was the bowl of popcorn. 

“You there,” Steve says shoving Sherman towards one table. “And you there” 

Flinn is pushed towards the other table and he sits down with a huff. Crossing his arms and looking scowly. 

“You have a minute to explain why the hell I had to stop you from turning each other into dog chow” Steve wasn’t the captain of the team for nothing. Especially with the way, his voice was currently booming across the cafeteria. Everybody pretending not to watch from the corners of their eyes. 

Neither of them make a move to even try and explain it. 

“Now or your both benched for the rest of the goddamned season!”

“You can’t do that” Sherman grumbles. 

“Fucking try me” Steve snaps starting to look thoroughly pissed off and annoyed with the entire situation. Eyes shimmering before Steve glances at Eli and they stop as he takes a small breath.

“Hanson was being a dick and talking about Pepperjack behind his back. You weren’t around and I figured I wasn’t gonna let the asshole get away with it. Just cause he can’t get over the fact the little nerd picked you over him” Sherman finally says, arms cross as he tries to murder Flinn with his eyes. 

What the frick was it with the boys in this school and trying to defend Eli’s honour all of a sudden! Did he have a sign above his head saying Damsel in Distress? 

“I just told the truth. Not my fault your boyfriend’s a little slut” Flinn snarls back and the floor drops from under him. Eli struggles not to hit the floor in shock. 

Eli feels himself go pale as every bodies eyes flash to him. Surprise mostly in their eyes. Confusion in others. Now would be an opportune time for Zeus to just, smite him down. He’d be cool with that. 

Eli feels sick as he stares at his feet. 

“Eli?” Claire asks softly. 

“I-I...” 

“What’s wrong Eli? Didn’t Steve know that you're into older guys” Flinn sneers. 

Eli’s moving before even his brain knows it. Feet taking him from the Cafeteria and out of people’s view. 

How did Flinn even know? No his main question was why was this causing a panic attack. It had been just a few months after Eli and Steve had formed the Creepslayers.

He pulls at his hair as he paces back and forth across the hallway. It had been a surprise even for him, a reckless mistake. Something he’d actually forgotten about. 

A door slams and he hears footsteps. It makes him jump as he turns around but it was only Steve and his not sure if that was better or worse. He was shaking out his hand and he didn’t look angry. Yet. 

“You ok Peps?” He asks softly as Eli forces himself to stop walking and face his boyfriend. 

“Yeah. Just great.” He mumbles crossing his arms, feeling like he wants to sink into himself. 

“I broke Flinn’s nose. He had no right to say shit like that” Steve says, anger flashing through his eyes but disappearing just as quickly. 

“Well he wasn’t wrong,” Eli says softly. 

“That doesn’t matter. This was before right. It was something you wanted right? Was it before we were friends or before...?” Steve asks and it takes a few seconds to wrap his head around all the questions. 

“Uhh, a few months after we became friends. Sophomore year uhh actually it was at Darcy’s 16th birthday party and yes it was something I wanted.”

“See then it doesn’t matter. I mean I’m a little surprised that you didn’t tell me” 

“We weren’t at that stage of being friends yet and then time passed before I knew it and I just didn’t” Eli explains with a small shrug. Waiting for Steve’s anger to explode across the hallway but he looks completely calm. Not a single twitch, golden fleck. Nothing. 

“Look while I don’t want details. Can I ask who it was?” Steve says, running a hand through his hair. 

Eli mulls over answering but the guy had left school already so there would be no real harm in it. 

“Chase. He was a senior at the time” 

“Yeah, I remember him. He was the full back” 

“Are you sure this isn’t a problem?” Eli asks. 

“Would you have a problem with the fact that I’ve kissed people before we started dating?” 

“That’s a little different Steve” Eli points out. 

“But would you?” Steve presses. Raising an eyebrow. 

“No, of course not.” 

“Exactly. I don’t care ok. It just means one of us will know what we’re doing. Once I figure out how to not wolf out on you” Steve says the corner of his mouth fluttering up into a small smirk. 

Eli nods, not wanting to fight him on it. Not when Steve seemed sincere in the fact that he wasn’t angry. 

“So you broke Flinn’s nose huh?” Eli asks instead. 

Steve’s face turns sheepish. 

“I’m pretty sure. I definitely heard it crack” 

“And Coach didn’t yell at you,” Eli says surprised. Coach was pretty on top of the whole fight thing. 

“I think he wanted to take a swing as well, to be honest.” 

The bell rings then and Eli sighs. He so didn’t want to deal with Miss Janeth right now. He didn’t want to deal with anything. 

“How much would Coach kill you if you skipped practise this afternoon?” He asks before he can think about it. 

Steve looks at him surprised. 

“Probably a little but I’ll just tell him an emergency came up. Why? What are you planning?” Steve says softly and completely on board with Eli’s sudden insane plan. 

He’d sure if he said that was planning on jumping off a cliff, Steve would whole-heartedly be on board and follow right after. 

“I have no idea yet but I know if I stay and I see Flinn’s face I’m gonna do something I’d regret” He explains pulling out his phone and checking the time. 

He’d only be missing out on two hours of school work that he was probably already ahead in anyways. 

They slip out the side of the school and Steve drags him around to the parking lot. His car shinning in the sun and looking almost out of place between the others around it. 

It wasn’t exactly the quietest getaway plan but Eli didn’t really care. They get about half way home when Eli gets a plan. 

“Can you please take me to the hardware store” 

“Why?” 

“Cause we need stuff that can hold a Varulv and I want to take them down to Blinky and see if he can make them stronger” 

Steve just nods along and flicks on the indicator. Having to get over to the other side of the freeway. 

They drive in silence. Radio playing quietly in the background, Steve bobbing his head along to the music and humming under his breath. Eli uses this time to write up a few more things in his journal. 

“Will we need a cart?” Steve asks when they arrive. 

“Hopefully not but maybe get one in case” Eli murmurs. They were only small anyways and depending on how much they brought. 

His mother was gonna have too many questions, some of which he had no good way of explaining when she saw her credit card bill. 

They slide into the store and the cashier gives them a sideways glance but lets them go. 

They amble around until they come across what they need. 

“Alright, the only way to test it really is for you to hulk out a little. Just try not to use me as a chew toy” Eli says running his fingers across the various chains in front of him. Different metals and strengths. 

“Does it not terrify you, how easy you can make jokes about this?” Steve asks, looking at Eli from the corner of his eye. 

“No, it would terrify me more if I couldn’t. Now come on” Eli says holding up the coppery looking chain. The others looking like they snap if Eli pulled on them on a little too hard. 

Steve grabs it off him. Gripping two sections of it. He rolls his shoulders and takes a deep breath as his eyes close for a few seconds. When he opens them again, their gold and he yanks at the chain. 

It snaps like a freaking toothpick! Steve hadn’t even put half his strength behind it. 

“Alright, that’s one definitely a no. Try this” Eli says handing Steve the next chain. 

That one also snaps rather easily and Eli flinches at just how easy. 

“This one,” He says holding up the next one. 

That one takes a little more time to snap then the last but nowhere near enough time to do anything about it. 

He just holds the next one up silently and feels almost like it’s useless when that too snaps. 

The rest go much the same. 

It takes a solid thirty seconds before that breaks as well. It was the best they had though and would have to do. It would give at least a few seconds to react. Hopefully Blinky could do a little more though. Have a potion or something. 

“This is gonna have to do. You can uh...dewolf?” Eli says, struggling to find a good way to explain it. 

Steve nods and his eyes flicker out like a faulty light. 

“You ok?” Eli asks quietly. 

“Yeah. I’m fine. Come on let’s get a move on before the Cashier thinks we're doing something weird...er” Steve says before grabbing the reel of the chain and dumping into the cart with a thud. 

Eli drags him over to the padlock section and they throw three of the bulkiest, strongest looking padlocks they have into the cart as well. 

The cashier looks a little concerned when they put their purchases on the counter. 

“What, you two preparing for the zombie apocalypse or something?” The cashier asks as he rings them up. 

“No, just trying to catch a rabid dog” Steve explains with a shrug. 

“Oh, I’d call the pound if I was you. Rabid dogs are no joke” The Cashier points out. 

“I don’t think they’d be able to handle this dog,” Eli says eyes flashing up to Steve and back again. 

“Well, good luck to ya then. I guess’ The guy says, looking at them weirdly before telling Eli his total. 

He pulls out his emergency card and prays to god his mother doesn’t ask where the weird charges came from. 

Steve throws the chain and the padlocks in the car trunk and slides into the driver seat a few seconds later. He shoves the key into the ignition and shakes his head a little. 

“Trollmarket?” He asks as the car roars to life. 

“If your up for it,” Eli says, a little concerned for Steve. 

“The quicker we get it out of the way. The quicker we can make sure I don’t rip off Lake’s face when I shift” Steve says. 

Once more music from the radio fills the car and Eli takes the time to watch Steve drive. The way his hands move as he shifts gears and changes lanes. How alert he seems and yet how laid back in a single moment. It was almost transfixing. 

“What you thinking about?” Steve asks once they pull onto the bridge. Heading over to the carpark at the local 7/11 cause Steve would rather eat a brick then let his car go anywhere near the canal. 

“Are you really ok?” Eli finally says. 

Steve doesn’t answer until he parks his car and turns it off. Hands falling to twist in his lap. 

“I don’t know. I think there’s something in my head.” 

“L-like a voice?” 

“No. It’s more of a feeling. An urge. I want to hurt people. Tear Flinn apart, make him cry. I wanted to scare the cashier and rip him to pieces...Even sitting here, with you so close...” Steve’s voice dries up and refuses to look at Eli. 

He looks terrified out of his mind. 

“It’s ok,” Eli whispers reaching over and grabbing Steve’s hand. Threading their fingers together. “You don’t scare me, Steve, You can’t. It’s not possible.” 

“I want to hurt you. I want to watch you bleed and make you scream.” Steve finally mumbles. Sounding angry at himself almost. 

Eli knew it wasn’t the time for jokes as he undoes his seat belt and weasels his way across the centre console and onto Steve’s lap. The wheel pressing into his back. 

Steve looks at him in surprise. 

“Hurt me” Eli murmurs feeling courageous all of a sudden even if this could go very badly. 

“What?” Steve asks, confusion and fear filling his face. 

“Hurt me. Come on. You said it yourself. Make me bleed. Tear me apart” Eli says firmly, staring him in the eye. Hands manipulating Steve’s left hand into a fist. 

“Eli, what are you doing?” 

“Punch me” 

“No!” 

“Punch me, Steve. Come on don’t be a wimp. You want to hurt me then fucking do it!” Eli says a hundred percent serious. Voice raising to a shout. 

Steve snarls and his shoulders start shaking. Jaw ticking. Always the quick temper. Even more so now. It was like a reflex when other people yelled at him. Instantly snapping to anger. 

“Don’t do this Eli. Please!” He growls. A look in his eyes like his warring with himself and Eli knows he shouldn’t be doing this but he has a point to prove and this is the only way. Without actually putting himself in harm's way. 

“What’s wrong am I making you angry. Take it out on me. Let the monster out. Break my nose. Shatter my glasses. Give me a black eye like you used to. At least back then you actually had the nerve to do something!” 

“Eli stop!” Steve breathes, ragged, eyes flickering between his normal pretty brown and ice cold gold. 

“At least Flinn has the balls to say something. You’ve turned into nothing but a wimp. When was the last time you didn’t fight someone that wasn’t a wimpy old man? Maybe Flinn would be the better cho...” 

Steve sends the side of his fist into his widow with a small roar and Eli covers his face with his arms as it shatters. Glass flying everywhere and Eli feels a few pieces tear past his arms. 

“Shit Eli.” Steve murmurs when the carnage stops, glass stopping tinkling as it hits the ground outside. 

Eli pulls himself out of the ball he had conformed to. Steve looking down at him fear even more prominent. 

“Never say Hanson is better for you,” Steve growls but his wolf side has retreated. Instead, he just looks scared and horrified at himself. 

He has a cut on his cheek and Eli reaches out and runs his thumb across it. Wiping away the droplet of blood before watching in something close to awe as the skin knits back together. 

“I had to prove a point. I had to get you mad so you could see that even when you at your angriest. You still didn’t hurt me. There are ways to control stuff like that and if we can get you to control it in your human form. Then maybe we can do the same in your Varulv form” 

“That was a really stupid way to test it. What if I had hit you. I couldn’t live with myself if I hurt you. I mean I did hurt you. Look at your arms, You’re a moron!” Steve stammers grabbing Eli’s right arm and inspecting it closer. 

“It worked and I’m fine. A few scratches is nothing. You won’t hurt me, Steve, no matter how much the wolf in your head says you should. You’re to good of a person to let it win. You didn’t let your dad win, why should this be any different” Eli says moving his arm and pulling Steve into a hug. 

Steve sucks in a deep breath and presses his nose to Eli’s neck. 

“Coach is gonna be so pissed that I already broke the car” He mumbles into Eli’s skin. 

Eli gives a small laugh, mumbling a sorry into Steve’s shirt. 

They sit there until Steve pulls away. He runs his hands through Eli’s hair and Eli feels little pieces of glass fall from it. 

Eli reaches over for his bag and grabs his alien-themed band-aids. He only has to use two, The biggest one on his upper arm, a hole in the hem of his sleeve but even then it would be healed in a few days at most. 

Another on the side of his right arm. Steve presses the band-aid into place and he smiles. Soft and small, a small dark look still lingering behind his eyes. 

“See all better. Now come we need to go and annoy a certain six-eyed troll.” Eli says opening Steve’s door and squirming his way out of the car. Steve following and brushing glass off his lap. He grabs a tarp from the trunk and places it over the window. 

Eli grabbing the padlocks, leaving the heavy chain for Steve to carry down into the canals. 

He shoulders it easy and reaches out a hand. Eli takes it and Steve seems to relax a little. 

“Never do anything like that again please,” Steve says, looking at Eli as they head for the canals. 

“I promise. But like I said. I had to get you to realise. Your wolf has nothing on your stubborn butt” Eli points out, they reach the wall where Trollmarket is. 

Eli shuffles the padlocks over onto a few fingers and grabs the Horngazel from his back pocket. He drags it through the stone and carves them a doorway. Still marvelling at the magic of it all as the door opens and they’re greeted with the crystal staircase. 

Eli knows this is something he’ll never get used to. Not in a million years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long chapter that I'm not sure I'm happy with but oh well. I'll just come back and fix it later if I feel so inclinded.


	23. Bonding Rituals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for a lesson in love.

They get a few cautious looks as they pass through but nobody says anything and they finally make it down to Blinky’s Library. 

“Young Masters, Shouldn’t you be at your school. I believe it is still within schooling hours” Blinky says upon seeing them, placing the books he was reading down on the table. 

“Eh, we’re skipping. We need you to do something for us. If you can” Steve explains. 

“Sure what can I help you with?” 

“We need a way to make these strong enough to hold Steve when he transforms,” Eli says holding up the padlocks, Steve setting the reel of chain on the table. 

“I don’t know about the strength of a Varulv but I’ll see what we can do.” Blinky murmurs looking over one of the padlocks. 

Aaarrrgghh appears then, blinking sleepily and yawning. 

“What’s going on?” He asks looking between the three of them. 

“We need to make this strong enough to handle a Varulv. There should be a book around here somewhere about strengthening potions. We need to find the right one or we could kill Steve” 

“Well that’s fun,” Steve says sarcastically. 

They spend the next hour going through books. Steve doing the best he can but both him and Aaarrrgghh give up and sit beside one another out of the way. 

“You going to bond with your life partner?” Eli hears Aaarrrgghh murmurs, glancing over at Eli. Well as best as Aaarrrgghh can murmur. Which is to say not at all. Good try though.

“Hopefully one day...How do Trolls uh...bond?” Steve says looking confused as he meshes his hands together. 

Eli tries not to show he heard even as he grins like a maniac into the book he was currently deciphering. There really should be another form of translation that wasn’t Jim’s amulet. 

“Runes,” Aaarrrgghh says before he lights up like a Christmas tree. But not the angry green, instead it was a quiet, muted blue. One the back of his right hand sat intricately carved runes...no it was more names. Blinkous and Aarghaumont weaved together beautifully. 

Blue light comes from Blinky as well and he holds up his top left hand. The same symbols carved there as well. 

“That’s your names right?” Eli asks. Both Blinky and Aaarrrgghh nodding. 

“Awesome,” Steve says poking the back of Aaarrrgghh’s hand. 

“Why. How do you humans bond?” Blinky asks as the glowing fades. His many eyes returning to the three books he has in his hands. 

“Well uh, it involves a ceremony with a priest normally and vows. Promises for each other. Then we have rings, we wear them as you wear your bonding runes. Then we have a giant party afterwards with our family” Eli explains putting his own book back. Finding nothing and moving onto the next one.

Blink really needed to organise this place before he actually got lost. 

“That sounds rather the same but Vendel would take place of your “priest”. The whole of Trollmarket is normally in attendance and us to give vows to each other. Before clasping hands and places our others onto the Heartstone where it bonds us. Actually, Master Jim, Claire and Tobias were at our Bonding Ceremony. The first humans to ever witness such a thing. The Trollhunter has to be there to give his blessing you see or else your bond will be cursed” 

“That’s amazing. Jim was so lucky to see something like that.” 

“But what if you like, bond with the wrong person. Is there a way to reverse it?” Steve asks. 

“Not possible” Aaarrrgghh states. 

“Bonding is permanent. There is no way other than death to break the bond and even then you could not bond to another. Trolls are only made with one other in mind. If you tried bonding with someone who wasn’t your other half then the Heartstone would refuse to give you Bonding Ruins.” Blinky says.

“So you and Blinky are like soul mates then?” Steve asks. 

Aaarrrgghh nods, sending Blinky a rather doey eyed expression. 

“His my only” Aaarrrgghh rumbles, voice soft. Dripping with so much love that Eli wonders what it would be like to feel that for a single person. Knowing so prominently that they were yours and you there’s a 100%. 

He wonders if Steve was his only. He glances at the blonde and lets his imagination take him for a moment. Getting lost in a world of potential futures. 

“AHUH! Found it!” Blinky says and Eli’s daydream shatters. 

They all crowd around as he brings the large book over to the table. Blinky flicks past the first half of the book. 

“People, Quagawumps, Kubera...Ahhh here we are. Items. How to strengthen wood, iron...I think this one should work. Are you allergic to Quercus?” Blinky asks looking up at Steve. 

Steve looks back blank as a piece of paper. 

“Oak” Eli explains. 

“Oh, uh no. I don’t think so.” 

“Then this should be fine. Give me twenty-four hours and this should all be Varulv proof” Blinky says patting the reel of chain. 

“Thank you for this” Eli says, meaning every word. 

“Well, the safety of Human and Trollkinnd is important. So this is a top priority. Also, I haven’t asked but how are you feeling? Any more blackouts? How is your rib?” 

“No, but I can co...” Eli elbows him in the side discreetly. As much as Blinky probably should know, Eli just...there...he just felt it was a bad idea. Steve coughs. 

“Everything’s fine. No blackouts. I’m completely healed” 

Blinky looks suspicious but lets them go. 

“Well, should you feel even the slightest abnormality. Do not be afraid to call. Aaarrrgghh would you show them out, I must gather the ingredients. Rotguts is not gonna be pleased” 

Aaarrrgghh nods and guides them from the room. They walk in silence, Eli still looks around in awe only to run head first into a giant troll. Aaarrrgghh sized at least. He glares down at Eli. Blue-skinned and a metal arm. He looked familiar but Eli can’t remember his name. Just knows that his one of Jim’s close friends.

“Watch where you’re going fleshbag” The Troll growls. 

“Draal” Aaarrrgghh reprimands. 

“Oh, your the Varulv one aren’t you. Rather small for a vicious beast who can kill in seconds” Draal says leaning down a little to look Eli in the eye and even going so far to poke him in the chest. 

“No that would be me and hands off” Steve snarls. Pulling Eli to his side, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. Eli doesn’t even bother trying to intervene. Being hit by a teenage boy was bad enough, getting hit by a giant Troll. No thanks, Eli likes his skull in one piece.

“Ahh yes, you are a much more likely to be a flesh-eating monster. We should spar, I would enjoy beating you to a pulp.” Draal says with something close to a sneer over his features. He goes to poke Steve in the chest as well but Steve pushes his arm out of the way. 

“No, still human. At least today” Aaarrrgghh rumbles. 

Draal lets out a snort like a bull before nodding and giving what Eli is certain a smile. Or maybe he was showing off just how big his teeth were. Either way, Eli is intimidated. His almost sure one of those fangs are around twice the size of his arm. 

“Then when you have your shifting under control. You owe me a battle Varulv.” He says clasping Steve’s shoulder before moving past them. 

He stops moving through and turns to look back at them. 

“Look after your little fleshbag Varulv. He will be there for you when other’s are not. Do not take him for granted” 

Eli took the compliment as Steve nodded even if he was surprised that Draal would say something so nice. This must be the reason that Jim liked having the blue troll around. 

“I like him,” Steve says as they start walking again. Steve not taking his arm off Eli, Eli not minding a single bit. 

“Of course. He's like the Troll version of you” Eli points out.

“He is not” 

“Hmm, big hulking brute who likes to fight people but it secretly is a giant teddy bear? No doesn’t sound like you at all” Eli laughs. 

They finally reach the exit and Aaarrrgghh waves them goodbye. Still to sunny outside for him to follow them further. 

“Thanks again” Eli calls before scaling the canal wall. The portal bricking itself back up. 

He winces when he gets back to the car and sees the glass on the pavement. 

“Sorry.” He mumbles, knowing that Coach was gonna be so annoyed about this. 

“It’s ok. Better the window then you. I still think you're a moron for what you did but I get it” Steve says before ruffling his hair and making the porcupine look even worse. 

When they get home Coach blows a casket until Steve lies way to smoothly about it being some stupid freshman from Hallgrove ditching a brick through his window when they were getting snacks to study with. 

Which then sent Coach on a rant about Hallgrove and how they can all go suck an egg. The same egg. He was very specific about it being the same egg. 

Steve is called into the kitchen by his mother. Leaving Coach and Eli alone in the lounge room. 

“How are you Pepperjack?” Coach asks awkwardly. Looking to fill the silence. 

“Uh good. Better than this morning. Sorry I stole Steve but I needed to get out of school” 

“It’s alright I’ll just make him work twice as hard next practise. Hanson has detention for a solid while and a warning from Strickler that if he starts crap again he loses his spot on the team” 

“Did Sherman get in trouble” 

“A week’s detention but he took it well enough. Thought he was gonna go for more though after you and Steve left.” 

“Elijah, are you staying for dinner?” Lyn asks poking her head into the lounge room. 

He thinks over it, not quite sure if he was ready to face another disaster, he wasn’t sure he was ever ready to face it but he was already here and his mother had messaged him saying she would be out. So he’d have to feed himself and that would result in cereal at the most. An apple at the least. 

“Sure, that sounds really good thank you Ms Palchuk” He finally murmurs. 

Dinner was drama free and actually rather enjoyable. Eli snorting out a laugh, his drink burning up his nose when Lyn tells him about Steve’s old obsession with Macaroni and Cheese. 

“He would literally eat it noon and night. It was a struggle to get him to eat anything else. I don’t know how he wasn’t a big as a blimp” Lyn says, snicking. 

“Mac and Cheese, Really?” Eli asks once his nose isn’t on fire anymore. 

“Says you who ate a litre of chocolate ice-cream and thew up for four hours” Steve quips back. 

“It was three, get your facts right” Eli grumbles back, face aching from his smile.

He feels Steve’s knee settle against his under the table. Steve of course done first even when Lyn had piled twice as much on his plate. 

“My son is an actual animal” Lyn sighs. 

“That’s what I’ve been telling him but he doesn’t believe me,” Eli says, holding his hands in the air. 

“Have you seen that silly victory dance he does? If not I have it recorded the last time he beat Lawrence in Mario Kart” 

“Yes and the chanting. That’s the best part.” Eli says grinning. 

“While I’m glad you're getting along. Does it have to be over me being an idiot?” Steve groans. 

“Yes,” They both chirp at the same time and Steve sighs, leaning back in his chair and rubbing a hand over his eyes. Muttering something about this being a terrible idea. 

Coach just pats him on the back. Sympathy in his eyes. 

While Eli still wouldn’t trust the women with a gun to his head. At least she was being civil tonight, almost boarding on nice. She must have taken his advice. At least partially. 

Finally, dinner is done and Eli helps clear away the table. He gets ready to leave but is invited by Coach to watch Zombie Rats with them. 

“You can say no. I was gonna go do some homework if you left” Steve murmurs in his ear. 

“I’d be up for it. If that’s ok with you Ms Palchuk. I wouldn’t want to overstay” 

“You don’t talk through movies?” She asks moving into the lounge room with a large bowl of popcorn. 

Eli shakes his head. 

“Then you're fine.” 

Eli sits on the couch beside Steve. Lyn and Coach taking the two armchairs. He feels stiff as a board even as he desperately wants to lean into Steve’s side. But he doesn’t want to give Lyn a reason to kick him out. Especially not when the movie when just starting to get good. 

Not when Lyn seemed to be actively trying to like him. 

“You ok?” Steve asks about a quarter of the way into the movie. Voice a whisper as he leans over against Eli. 

“Yeah, fine” Eli mumbles back.

“Then relax Peps. She’s not gonna hate you for being comfy and touching me” 

“That was literally her entire problem” Eli whispers back. Glancing over to Lyn but she’s focused on the movie. 

“Then she’s just gonna have to get used to it” 

Steve wraps his arm around Eli’s shoulders and Eli sighs and lets himself move back to lay against Steve’s side. Not wanting to fight Steve on it. It’s so much comfier and he relaxes. Turning his eyes back to the movie just as the Zombie Rats eat a mailman. 

His concentration on the movie lasts about 2.3 seconds before his out like a shattered light bulb. Comfortable, safe and warm against Steve’s side. Steve's hand curled in his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Draal! My precious baby. How I miss you. 
> 
> Lyn's trying to accept the fact her son is a Bi mess. Trying.


	24. Donations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A werewolf with a phobia of needles. Who would have thought?

Eli wakes up to his phone ringing. 

He yawns and reaches for it. Eyes still closed as his hand connects with the device. He answers blindly. 

“What’s up?” He mumbles. 

“Oh, I thought this was Steve’s phone. Did I call the wrong number?” Blinky asks. 

Eli blinks open an eye and sees it is, in fact, Steve’s phone and his in Steve’s room. Steve must have moved him after he’d fallen asleep on the couch. Said jock was nowhere to be seen as Eli reaches for his glasses. 

“No, it’s his phone. I just answered it first. Have you completed the potion already?” He asks, speaking around a yawn as he stretches. 

“It turns out to be a bit more complicated then we thought. We need something of Steve. So the potion knows what to strengthen against” 

“Like a piece of hair?” 

“Like a litre of blood” 

Oh no. This was bad. 

“S-steve doesn’t exactly react the kindest to needles,” Eli says, recalling the time that Steve nearly bit off the school nurses head before the fangs and fur. Now he was going to be an absolute disaster. Well, even more of a disaster than normal. 

“The potion will not work without it and then we would be just relying on human manufacturing and that is not a good idea.” 

“I’ll talk to him about it but we might need a few more Aaarrrgghh’s to hold him down” 

“Hold who down?” Steve asks entering his room again and looking like he just ran forty miles. 

“You... We’ll see you this afternoon after Steve’s practise.” Eli says before hanging up. Steve comes over and leans down to kiss Eli. 

“Morning” He murmurs sweetly against Eli’s lips. 

“Morning. Did you seriously go for a run? Voluntarily? Even Coach has trouble making you run” Eli asks when Steve moves away to grab some fresh clothes that didn’t smell like disgusting teenage boy sweat. 

“Yeah. I woke up and just felt the need to run. So I ran...10 miles I think. Could probably run another 8” Steve says heading for the door before stopping and turning to look at Eli. That cocky smirk in place. 

“You wanna join?” He asks. 

Eli feels surprised at the offer, even if Steve was joking. 

“As much as that sounds fun. I’m fine. I should probably head home and get my stuff ready for school” 

Steve pouts but nods. 

“I'll be in over in fifteen,” He says before leaving the room. 

Eli takes a few seconds to fully gather his bearings and force himself awake. He grabs his phone that was on Steve’s bedside table. 

Steve’s room was really a mess. Even more then Eli’s and that was saying something. Clothing blocking out half the floor even though Eli swore that Steve only wore the same three things. His bed crammed into one corner of the room. Bedside table beside it. Disastrously messy desk crammed into another and drawers against the wall. TV and Xbox haphazardly sat onto of it, a pile of half-open Video Game cases atop the game console. 

He finally collects himself enough to stand and leave Steve’s room, Making sure he hasn’t lost any of his stuff beneath the chaos. 

He tries desperately to sneak past Lyn, only wanting to deal with one Palchuk today. But no such luck. Lyn must have eyes in the back of her head or something. 

“Are you two using protection” 

Eli nears throws his phone in shock. Texting Jim about this afternoon's plans on getting Steve to give blood without turning it into an actual blood bath. 

He coughs a little. 

“Uh we’re not really doing anything warranting protection, but if or when we do. I’ll make sure it’s the number one priority” 

“Well at least I suppose I don’t have to worry about my Stevey getting you pregnant,” She says more to her self than anything. 

“Uh yeah. True” Eli says running his hand through his hair. Feeling even more awkward than usual. Lyn just had a way of doing it to him. Making him feel like every word was a crack on thin ice.

“Doesn’t mean that if I find out you aren’t using condoms. I won’t skin you alive” She says calmly. 

“Of course Ms Palchuk. I-Is that all?” He asks. Wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible.

“No. I just...Thank you for making my son happy” She says so quietly, still facing away from him. Eli isn’t sure he heard right. 

Eli doesn’t know how to answer that. So instead he heads for the front door slowly, moving quicker only when Lyn doesn’t stop him. 

For once, school is actually drama free. Steve annoying everybody in practise with how peppy he is and eager to do laps. 

“What the fuck Palchuk!” Ryan groans when Coach takes Steve’s suggestion of working on agility today. 

Coach decided to make them do suicides. 

It was interesting to watch Steve have to tone it back. His Varulv side was really setting in. Everything about him screamed fluid, bouncy. Almost puppy like. It was cute. 

Sherman’s girlfriend and her groupies had joined Eli today and she was talking about some Youtube star or another. Eli was mostly zoning them out until he hears his name. 

He turns to look at them. 

“How the hell did you get Steve Palchuk to date you?” One of the girls asks. It wasn’t malicious or anything. She was just purely curious. The other three girls nodding along wildly. 

“I uh. I’m honestly still trying to figure that one out. It was just kinda something that happened and I was gonna be the biggest idiot in the world if I said no” 

“Wait Steve asked you out. That’s awesome. We all thought you asked him. I mean I always heard him talking about you but I was a little shocked when Mare told us. You guys are really cute together” Sherman’s Girlfriend says. 

Eli felt terrible for not remembering her name. It was Kelsie? Kalie? Kylie? Something with a K. 

“Uh, thanks. I was a little shocked too.” 

“So what’s Steve’s beef with Flinn?”

Eli gives them the quickest rundown he can. All of them hanging on his every word like he was telling some epic saga. 

“Wow. That’s a little intense.” K says. 

“Yeah, just a little. Hey, look the guys are finishing up” He says unsure where to take the conversation next. It’s not like he could explain all the ins and outs without K calling him crazy. 

The girls take off and Eli waits like normal. Trying to think of a good excuse to get Steve to Trollmarket. If he knew that they needed blood, he was gonna find a way out of it. They needed to surprise him. 

Steve comes out of the locker rooms practically chirpy but Eli blanches. Steve looks at him surprised. 

“What’s wrong. Do I have something on my face?” Steve asks hands flying to touch his cheeks. 

“Uh no. You smell like a wet dog’ Eli says cringing a little. Looking sheepish even if it wasn’t his fault. 

“Well that’s just great,” Steve says with a sigh before a wicked smile comes to his face. 

“Wanna hug?” He asks, widening his arms. 

“No. No Steve. NO!” Eli says stepping back but Steve is quicker. Catching him and dragging him into a hug.

“Urgg Disgusting!” Eli grumbles as Steve snickers. 

Suddenly it hits him. 

“Blinky needs us to head down to Trollmarket. He says the potion is ready” Eli explains stepping back, grabbing Steve’s hand instead as they start making their way for the car park. 

“Awesome.” 

They spend the drive just talking about the new Super Ninja movie they were trying to bring out. Eli siding with the fact that Video Game movies always turn out crap. 

Eli shoots Jim and Blinky a text saying they were on their way and to be prepared. 

They head down to the Hero’s Forge. Aaarrrgghh, Blinky and the Trollhunters standing around in the middle of the forge. Jim’s mother was setting up something on the table someone had dragged in. 

“So um. I lied. I’m sorry” Eli squeaks out once they enter and the heavy door behind them slams to a close. Steve snapping up in alert. Going on edge. 

“About what?” 

“The potion can’t be completed withoutyourblood” Eli says words slurring towards the end. Feeling sheepish and bad for putting Steve in a position like this. 

“Please tell me they're just cutting off my arm. I can live without it.” Steve says going pale. 

“It’ll be fine. I mean it’s a bit more than average but I’m sure your healing will kick in” Eli says grabbing Steve’s hand and pulling him down the stairs. 

“You so owe me for this” Steve grumbles in his ear. 

“I know. We’ll get ice-cream or something afterwards but it has to be done if we don’t want you hunting down Hallgrove and eating their quarterback.” 

“He would deserve it” 

“This will be easy. We’re relying on your fast healing abilities to give us the blood we need. I promise I’ll try to make it so you won’t feel anything but it is going to be a little uncomfortable. It’s an IV, not a normal needle” Ms Lake says pulling on some white, latex gloves. 

Steve blanches and Eli pushes him towards the chair that had been dragged from somewhere.

“It’s gonna be ok. I’m here.” Eli murmurs softly and Steve soothes the tiniest bit. Even going so far to sit on the chair, Eli standing beside him. Until Ms Lake pulls the safety cap of the needle.

Steve tenses under Eli’s hand, as his eyes turn gold. A long drawn out snarl filling the air. Nothing human sounding about it. 

Toby flinches and steps back. The movement having Steve’s eyes dart to him. 

“I’m sorry about what I said. Please don’t hurt me!” Toby squeaks before stepping behind Aaarrrgghh. 

“He's not gonna hurt you,” Eli says rolling his eyes. 

Steve’s eyes narrow. 

“You’re not gonna hurt anybody. Either I hold your hand, or Aaarrrgghh holds you down” Eli snaps. 

Steve turns to look at him before huffing and sitting back in the chair. 

“Steve I need your arm,” Ms Lake says completely unfazed by the angry teen wolf sitting before her. 

He stiffens up even further if that was even more possible but thankfully straightens out his arm. Eli watches her work. Steve choosing instead to jam his eyes shut. Hand tightening around Eli’s but still only reasonably, not bone breaking. 

“You can seriously fight off a Gumm-Gumm but a little needle makes you scared?” Jim asks, a little incredulous

“Bite me La...Mother Fuck!” Steve howls, recoiling as his eyes flash open. Pain glancing over his face. 

“Well that’s not good” Ms Lake mumbles, Eli sees why a few seconds later. The needle had just completely snapped in two. 

“We need to get you to calm down. You’re too much a Varulv state to be able to get the needle in” Blinky explains. 

“Yeah, I don’t think that’s gonna happen. Lake you wanna do the honours in knocking me out?” Steve asks, half joking. 

“I’m game,” Jim says stepping forwards and starting to glow blue. 

“No, that won’t be necessary. We have Elijah right here. I’ve heard a person’s significant other is very calming to them.” Blinky says quickly holding out a hand to stop Jim. 

“Look as much as I adore Eli. I don’t think even his gonna do much for me right now” Steve says, before squeezing Eli’s hand softly. 

“Kiss him,” Claire says suddenly. 

Eli goes to stutter out an excuse before it hits him as to why she said it. 

“Serotonin! Of course, why didn’t I think of that?” He says. 

“Serotonin?” Steve and Jim ask. 

“I kiss you, it makes you happy right?” Eli starts. Steve nods a small smile fluttering on his face. It was a little ego boosting, to say the least. 

“Well when you're happy you relax and stop wolfing out” 

“Right so I get to make out with you and I stop wanting to rip off Dumb-zalski’s face. Sounds fair. “ Steve says cockily with a shrug. Ms Lake getting another needle sorted out. 

“Why my face!” Toby cries. 

“Cause you’ll cry like a litt...” Eli doesn’t let Steve finish that sentence. Smacking his hand over Steve’s mouth. Steve glares up at him but stops trying to talk.

“We’ll give you three some space. Come on Tobes” Jim says before pushing his best friend towards the exit. 

“Scream should you need anything,” Blinky says before grabbing Aaarrrgghh’s hand. 

Once they clear out, Steve wraps an arm around Eli’s waist and pulls him onto the Jock’s lap. Hugging him close and running the tip of his nose up the side of Eli’s neck. Causing goosebumps to spread down Eli’s arms and back. 

“You’re ok.” Eli murmurs, moving to run his fingers through Steve’s hair. Steve’s hair was getting to the point he’d need a haircut soon. Boarding on shaggy but still so soft. Eli could just sit here and card his fingers through Steve’s hair for hours on end and never get bored. 

Steve takes a few deep breathes before pulling back to look up at Eli. Eyes brown again. 

“I need your arm Steve,” Ms Lake says. 

Eli feels Steve move his arm, wincing when Ms Lake rubs with the anti-septic swab over his arm again. 

“Just focus on me. I’m here” Eli whispers, cupping Steve’s cheek. Steve leaning into his touch. Eyes boring into Eli’s own.

Steve leans forwards and Eli kisses him slow. Feeling Steve wince and growl against his lips when Ms Lake pierces his skin. The needle going through thankfully. He had no idea what they would have done otherwise. 

“You ok?” Eli asks. Steve looks pale but nods anyway. He turns to look at Ms Lake as she cleans up everything and connects Steve to an empty blood bag. 

“Alright, this is gonna be a slow process. We need a lot and since we don’t want to kill you from loss of blood. Means your gonna want to get comfy. I’ll be back in an hour. Blinky knows how to replace the bag. We should hopefully have enough by then but if you start to feel tired, or ill get Claire to come and grab me” Ms Lake explains. 

Steve looks displeased but nods. Ms Lake grabs her bag and leaves the hero’s forge. The Trollhunters appearing a few seconds later talking amongst themselves. 

Eli goes to squirm off of Steve’s lap but Steve catches him with an arm around the waist. 

“Stay, Distract me or I’m gonna want to rip out this goddamn IV” Steve grumbles in his ear. 

Eli nods. 

They discuss more options of where they can put Steve but still coming up with nothing. 

“Stop touching” Eli snaps when Blinky changes over the bags, smacking Steve on the back of the hand. Steve grumbles but moves away his hand. Eli grabbing it instead so Steve can’t try again. 

“Oh come on Wingman. Give a guy a chance!” Toby yells and they turn to see Aaarrrgghh holding the head of the hammer and therefore Toby off the ground. 

The big troll laughs and shakes Toby around a little bit. More yelling ensues. Blinky just shakes his head as everybody else laughs. 

Toby is finally put down and he stumbles around a while before just sitting down and looking a little green. 

“So you were saying, Master Jim?” 

“Could we try the Killahead Bridge room...without Vendel knowing” 

“Yeah, getting a half transforming Werewolf through Trollmarket. Sounds like a breeze” Toby grumbles.

“Well then what do you suggest?” Steve asks. 

“Hey, you’re quiet too. Why don’t you give some input? You got anywhere we can stuff an overgrown idiot?” Toby whines. 

“You’re lucky I’m a bit busy trying to make sure I don’t eat you on the full moon, or else I’d tear your limbs off for the hell of it!” Steve snarls. 

“Steve be nice” Eli murmurs. 

“Yeah Steve, be a nice little mutt” Toby sneers before regret flashes over his face. Eli thought Steve had a problem keeping his tongue in check. 

Steve stands and Jim catches Eli before he faces plants. Pulling him to his feet as they watch Steve pull himself to his full height. 

Steve snarls and rips the IV from his arm. Claire catches it before it can hit the floor and sets it on the table. Steve healing stopping him from bleeding all over the floor like a moron. 

Toby gulps and goes to scramble for his War Hammer but Steve grabs it off him and ditches it across the forge. It lands with a horrendous crash as it hits the other weapons on the wall. A few of them hitting the floor. 

“Come on Man. Seriously!” Toby squeaks holding up his hands.

Eli hears a snap, like bone and he swears the skin under Steve’s shirt is shifts before settling again. 

“What’d you call me?” Steve sneers low. Not a single ounce of human left in his voice. 

“Nothing, come on man. It was a joke” 

“It’ll be a joke when I rip out your tongue!” Steve yells before diving for the chubby redhead. 

Toby screams and runs for it. Steve running after him. It would comical if there wasn’t actual fear in Toby’s eyes or murder in Steve’s. 

“Steve stop!” Eli shouts. 

Jim activates his amulet and Claire grabs her staff ready to stop Steve with force. 

Eli runs a hand down his face in annoyance. 

Toby runs towards them and dives behind Jim. Eli steps in front of the Trollhunter and crosses his arms. 

Steve skids to a stop in front of him, huffing and snarling and Eli’s glare deepens. His own boyfriend was trying to intimidate him. 

“Stop your crap!” Eli growls back. At this point, he’d gotten used to the golden eyes and growling. Even the fangs glinting at him didn’t freak him out. though he really would have to check that out. 

“Not until he apologies!” 

“No. I’m not apologising. He tried to eat me!” Toby yells. 

Steve snorts out a growl and sneers. 

“I’d have a heart attack if I ate you chubby!” 

“Alright, that is enough” Eli yells grabbing Steve’s jaw and forcing the blond to look down at him. Done with Steve’s anger issues and Toby being an asshole. Done with it all. 

“If you’ve ruined this potion because you couldn’t contain your anger. I will skin you and make myself a new rug!” Eli hisses.

“Eli...” Steve starts. Arms raising in the air. 

“No. Sit!” Eli says letting go of Steve’s jaw and shoving him towards the chair. 

“Toby don’t even get me started on you! You better leave, before I get my hands on you. Now!” Eli continues turning to glare at Toby instead. Getting louder when Toby refuses to move. 

Steve’s jaw twitches and he crosses his arms. 

Toby grumbles something about being a Trollhunter and how he shouldn’t be the one leaving as he goes and grabs his hammer before stomping out of the room. 

Aaarrrgghh and Jim follow. Blinky sticking around for a few seconds before he too leaves. 

“I’ll go get Ms Lake. Times nearly up anyways” Claire says before summoning a portal. 

“What the hell was that!” Eli yells as soon as everybody is gone. 

Steve doesn’t answer instead scratching the side of his face and looking away. Eli takes a deep breath and softens his stance. 

“I know the full moon is getting close and you’re getting antsy but if we could not make the Trollhunters hate you that would be great” 

Steve sighs but finally nods. 

“I’m sorry. I just saw red and then you were yelling at me. I didn’t actually hurt him did I?” 

“No, thankfully Toby can somehow run faster than you,” Eli says before sighing softly. 

“I’m so sorry Eli. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I should have listened to you that night” Steve says voice breaking and Eli is surprised to see the tears in his eyes. 

“And done what, we didn’t know there was a freaking Varulv out there.” 

“But you had a bad feeling and you're always right. I shouldn’t have pushed. None of this would be happening. I wouldn’t be turning into a monster!” Steve says voice catching with tears as he covers his eyes with his hand. 

Eli moves forward and wraps Steve into a hug. 

“We didn’t know and exactly none of this would be happening. Meaning I might still be stuck pinning after you. Instead of getting to kiss you and go on amazing dates with you” He murmurs into Steve’s hair. 

Steve hugs him close and presses his face into Eli’s chest. Squeezing almost to the point Eli can’t breathe. 

“I’m still so sorry that I’m putting you through this. You know if you can’t handle it, I would understand right. I’m sure somewhere in this place, they have a way to forget” 

Eli laughs wetly pulling back from Steve to look down at his face. 

“Your the best thing that’s happened to me Palchuk. Varulv or not. Supernatural creature or not and I never want to forget any of it.” He presses a kiss to Steve’s forehead. Trying to convey every single ounce of adoration he felt for the blond in one single motion. 

Steve doesn’t say anything just pulls Eli back into a hug. Eli hugs him back just as tightly. He feels Steve’s hands fist in the back of his shirt like if he lets go Eli will disappear.

“I’m so sorry to interrupt but we need to get this IV back in. You have maybe fifteen more minutes” Ms Lake interrupts. 

Eli nods and moves back. Steve never takes his eyes off Eli, still slightly damp. He flinches when Ms Lake reinserts the IV. 

“You had fangs by the way” Eli murmurs. 

“Huh, at least I know why my mouth aches now. I thought Toby had hit me”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm starting to think Toby has a death wish.


	25. A Place For A Change.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trust Shannon to save the day.

“How are you feeling?” Eli asks. 

Steve hadn’t really talked since Ms Lake took the IV out of his arm and said he could go. 

“I’m fine,” Steve says but his voice sounds dull. Like his not actually here. Relying more on muscle memory and instinct to get them home. 

Eli doesn’t want to push him on it. Instead just turns to look out of his open window. 

“I don’t think...Eli, we shouldn’t be doing this.” Eli’s head snaps back around to look at Steve. 

“We don’t have to go home if you don’t want to. We can go up to the outlook, or we can go and see a movie. Get ou...” 

“No, I mean this. Any of it. You should be focusing on graduating and getting ready for Stanford. Not having to look after me.” Steve says, gesturing between the pair of them. 

“I’ve been preparing for Collage a long time, I can take a break to focus on more important things. Like you. Like making sure that you're ok and that you get through this in one piece” Eli grumbles, trying to look as sincere as possible. Steve was his priority. Had been even before they had started dating. 

Best friend turning into an actual werewolf or handing in assignments. The choice was an easy one. 

“And if I ruin your future, then that’s on me and I don’t think I can live with that.” 

“You won’t have to. Steve listen to me when I say I have it covered.” 

“And what if I kill you! You can do shit when you’re dead Eli!” Steve growls, taking off from the lights a little quicker than necessary. Pressing Eli into his seat. 

“Do I have to make you break another window” Eli snaps back, half trying to break this stupid tension. Half trying to make Steve see reason.

“You keep joking about it but this is serious. I wanted to kill Toby today. What am I gonna do when I actually change.” 

“We’ll figure it out. I’ve said that” Eli says reaching out a hand but Steve pushes it away and Eli almost starts to feel sick. 

“No, Eli. I can’t trust myself around you.” Every word stings and makes Eli’s chest hurt. Unsure where this was heading. Worst case scenarios making themselves known in his head. 

“So what? It’s my choice if I want to be there when you shift. I need to be there. I need to make sure you’re ok!” Eli says, voice rising to a shout. 

“Do you have a death wish?” Steve asks, glaring at him. 

“Yes. If it means making sure your safe” 

“I’m dating a suicidal idiot” Steve groans pulling onto their street.

“I could say the same about you. Look we started the Creepslayerz together, meaning you're stuck with me no matter how much you bitch and whine about it. So end of discussion” Eli says.

He could defend himself, He wasn’t completely useless even he sometimes seemed to think him so. Sure he couldn’t exactly punch a Gumm-Gumm in the face without breaking the bones in his hand but he’d outsmarted a far few of them and lived to tell about it. He could handle this even if Steve and the voices in the back of his head didn’t think so. 

“Eli, please. This isn’t Goblins and Gnomes. This is something we’ve never had to face before. We don’t know what could happen” 

“And you think we knew what we were doing two years ago when you first found Moustache. We figured it out then and we’ll figure this out too. So stop being such a pig-headed idiot and let me help you!” Eli yells, at the end of his rope. Sick of trying to make his boyfriend see reason. 

Steve finally comes to a stop in his driveway and he sighs. 

“I’m sorry, I’m just terrified of you leaving me when you see how much of a monster I am” 

“You know who else is a monster? Aaarrrgghh. He ate people before he became the good guy and his not seen as a monster anymore. His just seen as Aaarrrgghh and a hero. Yes, your a Varulv now and yes you might not be able to control it but maybe one day you will. Things take times to get a hold of.” Eli says reaching out to grab Steve’s hand again. 

This time Steve doesn’t push him away, instead entwining their fingers together and rubbing his thumb over the back of Eli’s hand. 

“I was with you for the start and I’m with you for this. Trust me when I say I’m not going anywhere” Eli says softer, moving to press a kiss to the back of Steve’s hand. 

Steve nods and sighs. Turning off the car and casting their world in darkness. He doesn’t make a move and neither does Eli. Neither wanting to break their soft bubble. 

But of course, life has to go and get in the way. Or at least Coach Lawrence. Eli hits the roof when Coach knocks on his window. 

He opens the door. 

“What’s up Coach?” 

“Nothing, Just making sure you two are alive in here. Also, Steve dinner’s ready and Eli, Your mother was looking for you” Coach explains. 

“Oh Fudge!” Eli says pulling his hand from Steve’s and reaching for his phone. He pulls it out and sees about 15 missed calls and messages. 

“Talk to you later ok.” He says sliding out of the car and running past coach and across the road. 

He forgets his bag in the process but really at this point. His life was more important. 

Eli sneaks into the front door and before he can even make a break for the stairs he hears something that makes him sigh deeply. 

“Elijah Leslie Pepperjack, Get your butt in here right now!” 

“Mum I can explain,” He says heading for the kitchen. 

“You bet your butt you’re going to explain. You have a phone for a reason. You had me worried sick Elijah. I tried calling your phone, Steve’s. Even that Dombzalski boy. But apparently, none of you had the sense to answer the damn things!” His mother snaps.

Eli sees what Steve means by her unnecessary knife usage. The large butcher knife making him flinch when it hits the chopping board. 

“I’m sorry mum. I thought I told you that we were going to the movies. I’ll make sure to check my phone more. You mustn’t have heard me” Eli says. 

He hates the way the lie slips out so easily. How he could look her in the eyes while he did it. There had been a time where lying to her had made him feel sick inside for hours afterwards. 

Now it was barely a thought, A passing whisper in the back of his head how wrong this was. 

“Well next time leave a note. Dinner will be ready soon, go have a shower and then tell me about this movie” She says easing up a little. 

“Uh yeah sure. I’ll go and do that” Eli says before leaving the room. 

The night didn’t end up much of a disaster as he thought it would. His mother seems to take his lie with a grain of salt and warning of banning him from seeing Steve if he does it again. 

The next day Eli heads to the library at lunch instead of dealing with the cafeteria. Knowing that Flinn would be there and he doesn’t want to deal with that today. Steve appearing a few minutes later with two sandwiches he had smuggled from the cafeteria. Eli says no to his own and so Steve shrugs before eating that one too. 

“What are you looking for?” Steve asks sitting down on a nearby chair and rocking back and forth on the back legs. Flicking through a random book he had picked up for a seconds before becoming bored and dropping it back to the table. 

“To see if there was anything we missed, Any place we missed,” Eli says pulling out the few old town maps they had. He brings them over to the table and spreads them out. Steve stops rocking on his chair and looks over the maps as well. 

“Hey what are you two doing?” A voice asks and Eli nearly lets out a girly scream. Steve laughing and mumbling something about Eli’s face. He swallows it though and turns to see Shannon looking down at the maps with them. 

“Personal Project. Just wanted to see if there was any abandoned bunkers around here or something.” Eli explains with a shrug. 

Steve nodding along. 

“I’m surprised you haven’t heard of the old creepy bunker out the back of the school. In the forest. It’s said to be haunted by a doomsday prepper that supposedly got stuck in it and starved to death. They only found his remains a few years ago” Shannon explains pulling out one of the newest maps and pointing to a section of the forest behind what was now the school. 

“Ahh yeah, cause I want to be in a dead guy bunker. That sounds great” Steve grumbles sarcastically, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. 

“Well, it might be the only option we have!” Eli hisses back. 

“What are you two actually planning on doing with it?” Shannon asks. 

“Well as you said it’s haunted by ghosts right. I plan to try and catch a ghost on camera and I need Steve for back up.” Eli says smoothly taking a photo of the map. 

“Yeah, I’ve always wanted to punch a ghost in the face,” Steve says with a shrug. 

“Oh, that’s awesome. If you need a fellow paranormalist don’t hesitate to call me. I could lend you a few things. I actually got this really cool new EMP reader.” Shannon says, excitement shining in her eyes. 

“Of course. Thanks for this seriously. You’re a life saviour” Eli says quickly before his stuck listening to Shannon babble on about ghosts for the next hour. 

Don’t get him wrong, normally he’d be down for it. He’d talk her ear off about ghosts and spectres but right now. They had more important things to do. Like, make a bunker Varulv proof. If that was even possible. 

Eli is antsy all the way through science, as he tells Claire about the bunker. He adds too much potassium iodide and turns their entire experiment into Elephant toothpaste. After getting ribbed by the science teacher and cleaning up his mess, he runs down to the field. 

Practise was already finishing up. Coach yelling about them all being idiots and how on earth were they going to win any game if they played like that. His face was bright red and he looked close to eating his whistle again. 

He finally lets them go after threatening to replace every single one of them with preschoolers. 

Once Steve is done showering, Eli drags him towards the back of the school. 

“Do we seriously have to do this now. Coach runs us ragged” He whines. 

“Yes.” Is all Eli says before he goes to scramble over the back fence of the school, only to feel hands on his waist and his hoisted up until he can pull himself over the top of the fence. 

The landing was rough but he picks himself up easily. Adjusting his glasses and brushing off his pants. 

Steve follows, jumping clear over the fence and landing beside Eli before brushing off his shirt. Eli rolls his eyes at his boyfriend’s cockiness. 

It takes nearly half an hour of walking to get to where they think it is.

“Do you think this is too far?” Eli asks as they start looking around for the bunker doors. 

“It’s the only choice we really have,” Steve says. 

They search around for another fifteen minutes before Eli finds it by tripping over its door handle and ending up sprawled in the dirt. Cutting his knee open on the corner of the bunker. 

“Jesus, Eli are you ok?” Steve asks coming over and helping him up off the ground. He had grazed the heel of his palm and his knee stung but he’d live. He wasn’t bleeding too badly. 

“Yeah, I’m good. I found the bunker but I’ve misplaced my glasses” He says blinking and struggling to make out Steve’s blurry face. 

Steve shakes his head but moves away from Eli to grab his glasses for him. 

“Thanks” Eli murmurs once they're placed in his hand. He slides them back into place and dusts himself off. Wincing when he brushing the dirt off his knee. They both turn to look at the large iron doors half sticking out of the ground. Half covered in dirt and a few dozen vines. 

They start clearing it all away. Eli pulling with all his strength to try and get the vines to release their hold. Steve reaches over and starts pulling as well. 

“Are these things super glued down” Steve grumbles when even he puts all of his strength into pulling them but they only come off the metal about a centimetre. 

Eli has to stop, he needs a break or he thinks his arms might fall off. He takes a few breathes. 

“I’m gonna call Jim. See if they have anything we can use” He says pulling out his phone. Jim saying they’ll be there in fifteen. 

He watches Steve continue to try to pull away from the vines. 

“Oh, now you don’t want to come out!” Steve grumbles. For a second Eli thinks Steve is talking to him. But then he realises he's talking to the “Wolf”. 

“Maybe you’re not angry enough” Eli points out. 

Steve finally sighs and lets go of the vines. Sitting down beside Eli and letting his head fall onto Eli’s shoulder. Eli moves his hand up to run his fingers through Steve’s hair making Steve’s chest rumble.

He tried not to coo at the cute sound. 

They just enjoy the sounds of the birds trilling, other forest animals running around. 

Finally, the Trollhunter appear and Eli jostles Steve awake. If he was tired from practice the other boys must be dead. 

“Wha...I’m up” Steve mumbles before yawning and stretching. 

“Sorry we took so long, Toby got into a fight with Stuart” Jim sighs. 

“He tried to make me pay double for Gauc. It was a travesty!” Toby says around a mouthful of food. 

“So what’s the problem?” Claire asks. 

“Vines,” Eli says standing and walking over to the bunker doors. He kicks said vines. Hiding his wince of pain when he feels like he kicks are rock instead. 

“I don’t see the problem,” Toby says reaching down and pulling on them. “Huh...these are a little tough...Just let me...Urrrrggg!” 

Toby pulls so hard that instead of pulling up the vines, he ends up falling backwards and hitting the ground with an oomph. 

“Alright, there might be a problem” He groans as Jim and Claire help him off the ground. 

“Let me try something” Claire murmurs moving forwards and kneeling downing. She sets her hands on the vines. 

“Kveikja á” She growls and purple fire springs from her hands and starts to eat at the vines. 

“Awesome” Steve and Toby say at the same time when Claire stands. The bunker doors cleared of vines. 

Jim steps forwards and wraps an arm around Claire’s shoulders. Stabilising her when she stumbles.

“You ok?” He asks quietly as she holds a hand to her forehead. Nothing but love and concern on his face. 

“Ye-yeah fine. Just a little woozy but I’m good” She murmurs. 

Steve moves over to the bunker door and yanks it open. A cloud of dust flying out and he coughs, waving his hand through the air to clear it. 

Eli moves forwards, once more pulling out his phone and he flicks on his flashlight. Steve pulling out his own.

All they can really see is creaky, old, wooden stairs leading down into pitch blackness. This wasn’t a setting for a horror movie at all. 

“So it was nice knowing you two, have fun being eaten by the black void of DEATH,” Toby says. 

“Nah-uh. We need something for whatever is down there to eat and you’ll keep them distracted for quite a while” Steve says grabbing Toby by the shoulders and pushes him towards the stairs. 

“HEY!” Toby grumbles as Eli smacks Steve on the shoulder. 

“Be nice!” He hisses. 

Steve sighs and doesn’t say anything. 

Instead, he pushes past Tobes and starts heading down the stairs. His flashlight goes off. 

“Wait, what happened! Where’d his light go? What if he wa...” 

“His fine. It’s a Varulv thing” Eli explains cutting off Toby’s panicked babble.

Suddenly a shrill scream rings out before a smashing sound. 

Before Eli can get even halfway down the stairs though Steve calls up to them. 

“I’m fine. I’m good. Just uh moths” 

Eli relaxes, scoffing out a laugh but still continues to make his way down the stairs. Scanning the room with his flashlight and finding Steve by the fact of his glowing eyes. 

“Ahh jeez babe, a little warning!” Steve grumbles eyes jamming shut as he flinches from the light. 

“Sorry” Eli murmurs pointing the flashlight towards the floor. He looks around for a string light or anything. 

Footsteps follow and the Trollhunters are crowding behind him. Jim’s armour giving off a slight glow. 

“Holy shit, now that’s cool,” Toby says. Eli looks up and see’s what he's talking about. Steve’s eyes are doing that weird reflective thing again. 

The bunker wasn’t big but it only had that one entrance and apart from the old very faint smell of dead guy, it seemed fine. Everything had been cleared out of it by the cops anyway. The shelves barren, some of them freshly broken from Steve.

“We’ll ask Blinky if any of the potions can be used on the doors as well,” Claire says as Toby finally stumbles upon the light. It was only dim and flickering but it was better than using their phones. 

Even the walls had been fortified with stone and wood. It would be perfect. 

Suddenly a loud slam fills the air and the light shatters above them. 

“That’s not good” Eli squeaks out. Toby’s phone light comes back on again, all of them looking at each other. Hoping that one of them was just pulling a prank. 

“GET OUT!” A males voice screams and Steve hits his knees, covering his ears. If it was loud for them, it must be unbearable for him. Eli placing a hand on Steve’s back, mostly just so he has an anchor and can fight off the panic building in his throat. 

“Oh come on. Seriously. Ghosts!” Jim groans, his sword appearing in his hand. 

“I’m starting to think those vines might have been supernatural” Toby whispers. 

“Really? What gave you that idea!?” Eli snaps.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who would have thought a haunted bunker would be haunted. The chances. 
> 
> One day Steve will get it in his head that Eli isn't going nowhere.


	26. Murder Bunker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for Plan B

Eli tries very, very hard not to panic. Now was not a time to panic. Cause if he panicked than he wasn’t getting back up again. 

“We just need to borrow this place for a night,” Claire says softly, slowly reaching for her staff. Trying to sooth the ghost. 

“Get out! Get out! GET OUT!” The voice screams again and Steve winces. 

“How do you expect us to get out when you blocked the door,” Jim says calmly. 

“Get out or I’ll kill you!” The voice continues to scream refusing to listen to reason. 

“Claire, portal. Please! It’s too loud for Steve to handle” Eli yells over the racket.

Claire nods and pulls out her staff. He watches her face scrunch up as she struggles to get one to form. 

“It’s not working, I think the ghost is blocking my powers!” Claire says and her face becomes panicked as well. 

“Come out Ghosty ghosty. We won’t hurt you” Toby sing songs, his hammer lighting up. 

Then there was silence. Nothing and Steve seems to relax the tiniest bit only to flash his head up. 

“Uh Guys, I think we have a problem” He murmurs. 

“Now’s kinda not the time Steve” Jim calls back. 

Eli realises what it is a few seconds later. 

“The walls are moving!” He calls. 

“Don’t be ridiculous Eli, walls do-don’t...oh no” Toby says, his hammer hitting the floor before floating a few inches off it. The walls were indeed moving. Towards them, crowding them in. 

Steve gets his bearings enough to stand, Pulling Eli close to his side as he looks around. 

It very, very quickly gets squishy as Jim and Toby hold up their weapons sideways. Claire trying desperately to summon a portal. 

“Come on! Work you stupid Skathe-Hrun!” She grumbles shaking it. It spits out the tiniest portal before dying again. “Urg, Your useless!” 

A horrible sound of metal scraping against stone fills the air when the walls get close enough to press against the two ends of Jim’s sword. 

Eli feels Steve shaking and he looks up to see Golden eyes practically pouring out of Steve’s head. Brighter then they’ve ever been before but this time it wasn’t anger. It was actual fear. Pure, honest fear. 

The walls jam to a stop, Jim and Toby’s weapons quivering under the immense amount of pressure. 

“NOT FAIR! DIE! DIE! DI...” The ghost starts screaming only to be cut off by a sound that will haunt Eli’s dreams for the rest of his life. 

It was a roar. There was no other way to describe it. Eli thinks at most that Steve is saying something but truly he can’t find anything human about the sound that comes from Steve’s mouth. It a hundred percent monster and it seemed to shake the very walls hugging them close. 

Everybody covers their ears, Toby letting out a shrill yelp as Eli feels his very bones shake. 

It seems to last minutes whereas it was probably only seconds before Steve stops. Chest heaving, hands in fists. Fire in his eyes. 

The walls startup that grinding sound again but this time they're moving away. The sound of the bunker doors slamming open and sunlight filters into the bunker. Brighter than ever before. Suddenly it’s as if nothing had happened and Eli hears the birds chirping outside. 

The Trollhunters are just silent as they look at Steve in shock. Eli kicks himself into action and moves forwards. 

“You’re ok” He murmurs, moving to run his fingers across Steve’s cheek. Steve or at least the wolf inside watching him but not moving a muscle. Just still growling low. 

“His bleeding” Someone murmurs and Eli drags his eyes down Steve’s body. Only to see blood dripping off his closed fists. 

He reaches down and grabs Steve’s right hand. Turning it over and slowly pulling apart the fingers. Only to have surprise flash through him. Claws sat at the end of Steve’s fingers, sharp and covered in his own blood. Holes in the heel of his palm that were already starting to close up. 

“Show me your teeth” Eli orders. Voice still in that quiet tone. Not wanting to cause Steve’s wolf to see him as the enemy. 

Steve opens his mouth and shows off four extra sharp fangs in place of his canines. 

“As much as this is really interesting. I think we should get out before the ghost comes back. Who knows how long Steve scared it off for” Jim says pulling off his amulet. 

Eli nods and grabs Steve’s hand. Only realising then that Claire and Toby have already made their escape. He pulls his boyfriend up the stairs and the sunlight must jog something in Steve’s brain cause he blinks a few times and starts moving on his own. 

Groaning low as he starts returning to normal. Claws seemingly shrinking back into his fingers. 

“What happened?” He asks once Eli has him sat on a nearby rock. The bunker having slammed itself closed as soon as they had all left. The vines quickly covering the bunker doors but this time to the point Eli couldn’t have seen any of the metal beneath it. 

“You saved our skins. Or well not you exactly but yeah. You, uh your Varulv side scared off the ghost” Jim explains. 

Steve looks down at his and Eli’s blood covered hands. Fear running across his face. 

“It’s your own. You have claws now to apparently, you hurt yourself” Eli explains quickly, softly rubbing a fingertip over where the holes had been. Completely healed and scar free. 

“Oh” Is all Steve murmurs. Looking relieved. 

“So what are we gonna do now cause I’m not going down into the murder bunker ever again,” Toby says. He was still shaking. Eli was as well, the roar still echoing in his ears. 

“I really don’t think we have a choice,” Claire says running a hand over the vines. 

Eli reaches into his bag and pulls out wet wipes, cleaning down Steve’s hands. Like Steve had done for him only a short while ago. 

They stay there discussing things until Steve feels stable enough to start moving. He clings to Eli’s hand as they head back to the school. Eli not exactly keen on letting go of him either. 

Instead of going home though they head over to Jim’s. Toby sliding into the back of Steve’s car. Jim and Claire taking his Vespa. Jim looking only slightly envious of Steve. 

“You do anything to my car and I will eat you,” Steve tells Toby as he starts up the car and pulls out of the parking lot. 

“He’s joking right?” Toby asks softly. 

Eli just shakes his head and Toby clutches to his seat belt with a gulp. Letting out a quiet, sheepish laugh. 

Eli’s favourite song comes on and he turns it up. Mumbling the words under his breath as he bobs his head. 

“Not too loud?” He asks quickly. 

Steve shakes his head. Rolling his eyes are Eli’s antics but smiles anyway and Toby just hums along. 

That’s how they spend the car ride. Irritating other passersby and Toby with their music. 

They finally reach the Lake home. Blinky and Aaarrrgghh waiting inside. Aaarrrgghh poking the TV and laughing at one of the sitcoms playing. 

“Ahh, we were wondering if we needed to send a search party after you,” Blinky says. 

“We got attacked by a murder bunker,” Toby says. 

“Murder Bunker?” Aaarrrgghh repeats. His brows pinching together turning from the Tv and looking them over. 

So they spend the next few minutes explaining everything that had happened. 

“Most curious. Your shift is getting closer so of course it would be expected for more changes to begin occurring” Blinky says turning Steve in circles and inspecting his hands and mouth. 

Steve grumbles but lets Blinky do his thing. 

“Have you been keeping track of these changes,” Blinky asks and Eli nods reaching for his journal. He brings it over and opens it. He had finally gotten back up to date. 

“Interesting.” Blinky murmurs reading through it all. 

“Steve, you hungry?” Jim calls from the kitchen. The sound of a knife hitting the chopping board. 

“Always...Could you stop doing that” Steve replies before smacking Blinky’s hand when he once more inspects Steve’s mouth?

“Have you had any more blackouts that aren’t listed here?” Blinky asks, ignoring Steve’s grumbling. 

“Uhh. A few. Here and there but they weren’t really worth telling anybody about. They lasted like a few minutes at most” Steve says sheepish, rubbing his hand through the back of his hair as he avoids Eli’s eyes. 

Eli’s eye twitches in irritation.

“You were supposed to tell me about every little thing!” He snaps.

“If I worried you about every single Varulv thing I’ve felt. You’d be a nervous wreck on the floor!” 

“Doesn’t matter. You still should have told me!” 

“I’m just trying to protect you,” Steve says and it’s the worst possible thing he could have said. Pushing Eli off the proverbial cliff his been teetering on for the past who knows how long. What the hell was everybody’s deal all of a sudden? 

“If you or anybody else says I need protecting one more time. I will freaking combust. I’m not some Damsel or a princess who needs saving. I’ve saved your ass more times then I can count and that should count for something. And if anything, the person who needs saving in this situation is you!” His voice comes out louder then he means it to. 

Toby and Claire stopping their own conversation as Jim appears in the window to the kitchen. Blinky and Aaarrrgghh just share a look. 

“You don’t think I know that. I mean without you I would have had my face eaten by a Gumm-Gumm but your still my Pepperbuddy. Meaning that I still have to do everything in my power to protect you. No matter how much you can defend yourself. As bad-ass as you are. It’ll always be my job” Steve says coming over to him. 

“Well, it shouldn’t have to be. You shouldn’t have to” Eli says losing half his anger by the soft look in Steve’s eyes. 

As much as he was Steve’s anchor. Steve was his too. The one person in the world who could take his panic and turn it into something productive. Someone Eli had trouble staying mad at even if he really should be. 

“I know.” Steve murmurs leaning down to press his forehead against Eli’s. Eli sighs and feels like an idiot about his outburst. This was all just so frustrating. He was the most useless person here. 

Jim was the Trollhunter for Christ’s sake. Claire had her magic, Toby had his War Hammer. The Trolls were well Trolls and even before all of this Steve had it all under control and now. Now he was even faster and stronger and nothing seemed to scare him and Eli was left here. Human, gangly and weak. Prone to outbursts and panic attacks. 

“I’m sorry” He mumbles and Steve shakes his head, pressing a kiss to Eli’s forehead.

“It’s ok. I just pushed the wrong buttons...” He leans forwards before whispering into Eli’s ear “...and you’re more valuable to me than anything, Even with noodle legs” 

“Eat me Palchuk” Eli grumbles. 

“Gladly” Steve chirps with a wink and Eli has to stop himself from hitting the Jock for being such an annoying, charming, cutest, most irritating moron to walk the earth...no the galaxy. 

The tension in the room simmering back to a gentle calm as he appears with a giant tray of baked nachos.

They talk as they eat. Finally just coming to the conclusion that the chains are gonna have to be enough. That seems to make Blinky remember why they were there in the first place. 

“Draal made a few changes.” He says before grabbing a box from behind the couch and setting it on the table. 

“The big blue dude with the metal arm right?” Steve asks. Jim nods as they all crowd around Blinky. Waiting to see what changes had been made. 

Blinky empties the box's contents on the table and Eli’s eyes flash to the incredibly thick ring of metal. 

“No way! Absolutely not” He says grabbing it and twisting it over in his hands. It was connected to the chains. It was a freaking dog collar! 

“Draal thought with just the chains, Steve would end up hurting himself when he shifts. Healing or not. This was the best way to contain him without confining him.” Blinky explains. There were also two shackles between the piles of chains and padlocks. 

“He's not a dog! The chains were bad eno...” 

“I’ll wear them, “ Steve says cutting Eli off. 

“What?” Eli says confused at how willing Steve sounds. 

“I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. Dog collar or not” Steve says grabbing the collar out of Eli’s hands. 

Eli wants to say no. That they’ll find another way but he knows this is pretty much the only option. 

“Hey, you never know. Might suit me?” Steve says before slipping the metal band over his head. 

Jim, Claire and Blinky share a look before Jim speaks up. 

“Have you uh...Do you have a plan B. If these chains don’t hold” 

Eli doesn’t say anything. Choosing instead to inspect the shackles. 

“Yeah it’s called you and that sword of yours,” Steve says deadpan and a hundred percent serious. Fiddling with the chain attached to the band of metal. Pulling on it in different ways. 

“We thought you’d say that and as much as I hate to say it. We need a reason that you’d disappear” Claire says not looking anybody in the eye. 

Eli can’t handle this conversation anymore. Can barely handle the thought of anything happening to Steve. Let alone his own friends plotting out a story to give Steve’s parents if they have to put a sword through his chest. 

He drops the shackles on the table with a thunk and starts walking out of the room. 

“Eli” Steve calls but he waves the blond away with a crackly.

“I’m fine” 

He heads out the front door and leans against Steve’s car. Trying to distract himself from the terrible thoughts cycling through his head. He had just gotten to date Steve and now that might all be ripped away from him. 

Eli didn’t care that Steve was turning into an actual monster. He only cares about Steve being ok and if that means being a Varulv then so be it. About Steve coming home with him the next morning. 

He sighs and slides down the side of the car until he's sitting on the driveway. He presses the heels of his palms into his eyes until his seeing bright blue before adjusting his glasses, resting his head back against the car door. Watching the birds flitter by overhead. 

He isn’t quite sure how long passes but the front door opens soon enough and Steve steps out. Box in his arms. Eli stands and catches the keys that Steve throws his way. Opening the trunk as Steve throws the box into it. 

Once that’s done Eli presses himself into Steve’s chest, wrapping his arms around his boyfriend and just breathing in the stupid axe body spray that Steve drenches himself in after every practice. 

Steve doesn’t say anything just wraps his arms around Eli in return. Resting his head atop Eli’s as Eli listens to the too fast heartbeat in Steve’s chest. Letting it reassure him that everything was gonna be fine. That it was gonna keep beating.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eli is swiftly heading for a mental break down. My poor baby boi. 
> 
> I'm a little unhappy with the ending of this chapter but oh well, as always I'll deal with it later.


	27. Bonfire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli snaps and Steve might find it a little hot...just a little.

Eli throws himself back into homework when they get back to his house. Not up for talking all that much. Steve just ambles around making Eli a ham and cheese sandwich and forcing him to eat. 

“You didn’t eat lunch and after all the running around we’ve done today. You need to eat” Steve murmurs sitting down beside him at the coffee table and turning on the TV. Letting the noise of some random movie wash over them. 

So Eli eats, just to make Steve happy even if his stomach felt full of lead. Steve indeed seeming to relax once Eli’s plate is empty. He reads through the book for their English Essay, one arm slung casually across Eli’s shoulders as Eli focuses on his own homework. 

Well tries to but all he can watch is the clock in the corner of his screen. Ticking down their time as they sat on their asses doing jack. 

He watches Steve pull his phone out of his pocket and his eyes light up like they normally do when he's plotting something. 

“I forgot that Sherman was having a bonfire tonight. It’s for the team and a few others just to chill before the big game. You’re invited of course.” Steve says. 

Eli thinks on it for a moment before shaking his head. 

“You go have fun. I’m just gonna have a night in” 

“You mean your gonna obsess over the clock. I know how you work Eli. Come on it’ll be fun. I’m not gonna drink...not that it’d do anything anyways. We can leave whenever you want, just come out with me. Get your mind off school and Varulv stuff.” 

Eli chews on his cheek before finally nodding but only cause Steve is giving the cutest puppy dog eyes. 

“How can I resist that face” Eli coos once he stands, setting his laptop on the coffee table. 

Steve rolls his eyes but a giant grin forms on his face. 

So that’s how Eli ends up talking to Sherman’s girl once again. Brain screaming at him to remember her name as Steve curls around him. He hasn’t let Eli go since they got here. 

“I’m not gonna run off” Eli murmurs as K goes on about how excited she is for the big game. 

“It’s not for your sake, but mine” Steve replies before his snarls low. Sherman approaching with two cups. Pressing a kiss to K’s cheek and she smiles at him. Turning into a puddle of goo as Sherman practically do the same. 

“Did you seriously just growl at Sherbet?” Eli asks turning away from the homogeneous goo ball and looking up at Steve. Smirking at the thought. 

“I don’t know what you're talking about,” Steve says not looking him in the eye. Feigning Innocence. 

“For one Sherman is straight as a linear accelerator and two, you think he's looking at anybody else but her?” Eli asks pointing over his shoulder. Where he can hear Sherman making sappy compliments as K giggles her head off. They were adorable in a disturbing way. 

“Don’t blame me, blame uh...” Steve just kinda gestures to himself. It takes Eli a second before he gets it and he laughs. 

“He...it...we don’t like it when other guys look at you” Steve mumbles. Sheepish, embarrassed. It might be just one of the cutest things Eli’s ever seen. 

“I had enough trouble getting you to look at me. Nobody else is looking I promise” Eli says patting Steve on the arm. 

“No, your just oblivious t...Sherman what the fuck is he doing here!” 

Eli jumps at Steve’s sudden annoyance and he turns around to see why. Flinn had just walked into the clearing with some cute freshman clinging to his arm and looking around herself in awe. 

Amazed to be at a “Senior” party even though Justin and Cooper were in the other corner with their best friends. Giggling like maniacs as they poked the fire. Fifteen-year-olds, unsupervised they could actually destroy the world. Eli was certain of it. 

“It’s not my fault dude. He gets the team messages as well” Sherman says with a shrug. 

Flinn has the audacity to smile at them, one eye a little slit, purple and swollen. His nose slightly bent and bandaged. Even then he still manages to look handsome. 

“Do you want to go?” Steve asks softly. 

“No. I’m done running from the asshole. He has to deal with me for once” Eli says swallowing his unease and steeling his back. He was here first, Flinn could be the one to run away with his tail between his legs this time. 

Before they can do anything though K comes up with a brilliant idea. Eli wonders why on earth she thinks it’s a brilliant idea but he lets himself get dragged into a game of truth and dare. 

“Come on Kayla. When has truth or dare ever been a good idea? Last time we played I nearly got frostbite” Ryan whines. 

“Well that’s your own fault for picking dare, isn’t it. Now everybody sit down!” Kayla yells and those few who try to escape get glared at by Sherman and sit down before he smacks them over the top of the head, with one of his tree trunk like hands. 

Eli sighs but sits down anyways, Steve sitting beside him. Cooper and Justin on his other side. Babbling and excited to be at one of these things. Even though they had in fact been to many. 

There are about 17 people crammed around, Flinn directly across from Eli and sending him a sneer as the freshman buries into his side. 

“I’ll rip his eyes out and feed them to Toby’s cats” Steve grumbles. Eli just pats his knee and Steve huffs. 

A few rounds pass and it’s all very easy going until Flinn gets his hand on the bottle and Eli knows he does it on purpose when it lands on Eli. 

“Truth or Dare Pepperjack?” He sneers. 

“Truth” Not trusting what the idiot would try and make him do. 

“Who else apart from Chase have you slept with?” Flinn says far louder then he needs to. Like everybody wasn’t waiting with bated breath to see what he would come up. 

Eli feels Steve grab his hand and he sneers right on back. Letting Flinn’s stupid need to get to him roll off his back. 

“Well not you for one, Even I wouldn’t sink that low” He snaps back. Ryan hisses in a breathe while Justin mutters “burn” under his. 

Steve snickers. 

“Oh like you're getting any either Palchuk” 

“He's getting a lot more then you’ll get out of that poor freshman” Eli bites back. 

Everybody else watches silently, eyes wide. Sherman looking like he was front row at a wrestling match, glee in his eyes. 

Said freshman blushes bright and hides his face behind her hands. It would be like if Eli went and hit on Justin. Just felt all sorts of wrong. 

“Come on Flinn hand the bottle over, you asked your question.” Kayla chirps before Flinn can say anything else. 

Flinn throws it over and glares at Eli like he was trying to set him on fire. Eli just forces his face into a bored look and leans into Steve’s side. Steve moving to wrap his arm around Eli’s hip. Nosing up Eli’s neck and smiling against his hair. 

Flinn looks like he wants to kill somebody. Mainly Steve but Eli just ignores him.   
Instead watching as Ryan takes a dare and regrets it once he gets to the 19th marshmallow. Half choking, half trying to shove the last marshmallow into his mouth. 

“Disgusting” Cooper murmurs when Ryan is done. Cheeks bulging like a chipmunk. Even Eli is a little grossed out, K gagging. 

Flinn doesn’t try to start anything again but mainly cause nobody lets him get his hands on the bottle. Even the freshman passes it on. 

Eli eventually learns her name is Jessie and she seemed way too sweet to be with someone like Flinn. Eli almost wanted to save her. 

Everybody finally gets bored and they all just sit around talking, shifting into small groups again. The smell of fire filling Eli’s nose as he watches the embers fly into the air before burning out and fading to nothing. 

He starts getting tired but is way too comfy to move, still curled into Steve’s side as Steve talks about who knows what. Football stuff, car stuff. Something like the two. Jessie joining them and they find out she’s a car geek. It’s the most confident she’s seemed since she got here. 

“I see you’ve escaped Flinn. How’d he get you to come?” Sherman murmurs. Side-eyeing where said jock was drinking deeply from a red solo cup and looking like someone just told him his cat died. 

“It was my friend's idea. They were all super amazed that a senior football player came and talked to me and they said this was a once in a lifetime chance and I should take it. Or I’d be crazy...so here I am” She explains with a shrug

“Well, at least you get to hang out with us. You ever thought about signing up for Cheerleading?” Kayla asks a stick in her hand. One of the leftover marshmallows completely on fire and dripping off it onto the wood below. 

“Nah not my thing. Might try out for the football team though. Maybe having someone who can run a goal might actually help you guys win a game” Jessie says, smirking at the boys. 

Kayla and Eli laugh and Steve and Sherman get flustered and grumbly. Ego’s bruised. Eli presses a kiss to Steve’s cheek to soothe the brute’s ego and he pulls Eli onto his lap all together. Holding him close as he mumbles something about the fact that he was a great football player. 

Another hour passes Jessie moving on and talking to Cooper and Justin about some homework they had coming up. Ryan joining them and flopping down on Eli’s lap. He head on Eli’s thighs as he slurs, drunk as a skunk. 

Steve growls but says nothing. Eli soothing him by pressing a kiss to the back of Steve’s hand. 

A small commotion makes Eli look up and he nudges Steve, twitching his head to where Flinn and Jessie were standing half in the dark. Flinn’s hand wrapped around Jessie’s wrist. 

Eli nudges Ryan off and he just rolls over a little before resting his head instead on Sherman’s lap. Sherman pushing him off and he laughs when his head thunks onto the ground. He was definitely gonna feel that tomorrow. 

They both stand and make their way over. 

“Hey what are you two talking about?” Eli asks casually. 

“I was just asking if Jess here wanted a ride home or if she preferred it. Walking.” Flinn snarls dropping her arm. 

“Well if you want to stay a little longer me and Steve can drop you home.” Eli offers simply. 

Jessie looks between the harsh look on Flinn’s face and Eli. 

“W-would that be ok with you?” She asks him gingerly. 

Flinn shrugs. 

“Do whatever you want. Come with me, stay with the faggots. I literally don’t care” He snaps. 

“Oh go fuck yourself, Hanson!” Eli yells back. Not so much for the slur but for the fact that he can’t believe he had actually let himself think that Flinn was the nice guy. 

He voices those thoughts and Steve just stands behind him, silent waiting for Flinn to make a move. Just so he can make one in return. Jessie also watching silently, cautiously. Going back to being that timid freshman that had clung to Flinn’s side only a few hours earlier. 

“I am the nice guy, you just didn’t want that by the way you started dating your own abuser!” 

Eli wasn’t particularity a violent person but right now he wanted to rebreak Flinn’s stupid nose. 

“Steve is the best person I know. His more than made up for his past, in ways you couldn’t even comprehend. Fucking say one more bad thing about him, about me to anybody and it won’t be Steve making your senior year a living hell!” Eli says. 

“Jessie come on we’re leaving” Flinn growls going to reach for her but Eli steps between them. Steve just watches slack-jawed, something like pride in his eyes. The rest of the team and co watching them all. Ryan struggling to get to his feet, 

“Like hell, she’s leaving with you. Jess, go and sit with Sherman and Ryan” Eli orders. Cocking his head in the fire’s direction. 

She nods and scampers off. Sherman asking if she’s ok as Kayla mothers her. 

“Since when did you have a pair Pepperjack. I thought you only took it” Flinn sneers and Eli’s moving before he can help it. 

His tackling Flinn and slamming the footballer to the ground. Every single piece of anger from the last month flooding out of his fist and into Flinn’s nose. Flinn howls with pain and Eli knows if it wasn’t already broken he have caused Flinn no pain what so ever. 

He does it again and blood drips from Flinn’s nose, coating his knuckles. 

“You’re nothing but a vile asshole and I never want to see you again. Come near me and my friends again and I won’t just ruin your senior year. I’ll ruin your fucking life!” He growls down at the jock before pushing himself to his feet. 

Flinn pulls himself to his feet and looks like he's keen on diving at Eli in return but before he can Steve steps in. Shoulders rolling. 

“I think its time you leave” Steve barks. 

“Eat me Palchuk.” Flinn spits and Eli hopes too high heaven that it was the firelight that just reflected in his eyes and not the familiar gold that sometimes filled Steve’s eyes. 

Flinn spits blood at Steve’s feet before turning and storming out into the dark. 

“Well, I think it’s time to start packing up,” Sherman says, everybody else agrees. They all work together. Kayla opting to take Jessie with them instead. 

Eli and Steve agree just due to the fact that Eli doesn’t feel like talking to anybody right now. His hand aching surprised at his own anger. At how easily he had torn into Flinn. But he supposed ever he had a limit, could only take so much before he snapped. 

Finally, everybody clears out. Steve asking him how he was once they're in the car. Eli nods before turning up the music. Letting Steve know he wasn’t really up for talking. Steve just hums along to the music, eyes reflecting under the street lamps they pass. 

Steve doesn’t head over to his house, instead, he follows Eli inside. Eli just lets him go, heading instead for the sink to wash Flinn’s blood off his hand. Steve still continues to follow taking over for Eli when spots still remain. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause a scene” Eli finally murmurs moving to sit up on the counter as Steve dries his hand off before pressing a kiss to the already bruising knuckles. 

“It’s ok. If anything I found it hot. Watching you just let loose and tear someone apart. To see that fire in your eyes.” Steve murmurs. Pressing a kiss to Eli’s knuckles before pressing a kiss further up his arm after every sentence. 

Eli swallows and feels those familiar tingles up his skin, leading for the his...lower region as Steve presses a kiss to the inner part of his elbow. Tip of his tongue licking a trail up Eli’s upper arm. Eli can only watch transfixed. A small, barely-audible gasp falling from his lips as Steve presses himself between Eli’s legs. 

“It took everything not to just pin you there and take you.” A kiss placed on his shoulder, Steve’s voice low. A whisper that echoed around the dark, empty kitchen. 

“To watch him fear you.” A kiss to his collar bone, shirt held out of the way. Steve’s hands pressing up under his shirt, cool fingertips pressing into his skin. 

“It was...no you was fucking beautiful” Steve continues moving to suck gently on the skin of Eli’s neck. Eli’s eyes slid shut against his will, Jeans tightening as he moves his legs wider, accommodating Steve a little more. He head his falling back to give Steve more access. 

He gasps when he feels Steve press something just as hard against him. 

“Steve,” He says and it comes out a whisper, a soft moan. Hand moving to fist in Steve’s hair. Wanting to kiss the blond. 

Suddenly the light turns on and Eli is blinded for a second, even through his eyelids. He blinks his eyes open anyway and sees his mother glaring at him. 

“What on earth is going on here?” April Pepperjack asks and Eli burns bright red. Steve doesn’t turn to look at her, even as he straightens his back. 

“What I think is happening better not be happening or so help me Elijah Leslie Pepperjack “ She snaps and Eli gulps a little. 

Arousal completely gone. Like someone had dumped a bucket of ice and water over his head. 

“Bed now, you both have school tomorrow and if I so much as hear something I shouldn’t. I’m castrating the pair of you” She says before turning and walking out of the room. 

Eli sucks in a deep breathe and Steve lets out a tiny chuckle. Eli looks up at him, not even blanching when he sees the golden eyes. Knowing that Steve was a hundred percent standing in front of him. 

“You ok?” He asks reaching up a hand and pressing it to Steve’s cheek. Steve nods. 

“I think it’s good she interrupted. Things were getting a little heated and I wasn’t the only one interested” Steve murmurs before making his point known by pressing soft pinpricks into Eli’s back. 

Claws. So sharp and dangerous and Eli lets out a breath. Trying to remain calm even if his lower half was still very interested in the boy before him. Claws or not, eyes or not. Steve was still Steve and Eli was actually rather enjoying the extra add-ons. 

“Yeah probably” He breathes fixing up his glasses and pushing Steve back before jumping off the counter. He pulls his shirt back into place and they head up to his room. By the time they reach it, Steve’s new extremities having once more receded back to normal. 

Eyes back to normal as he curls around Eli once they’re in bed. Breathe brushing across the back of Eli’s neck. 

“I’m really proud of you for standing up to that douchebag. He deserves everything that happens to him”

Eli nods before finally remembering what his sure he saw. He decides he may as well drop the bombshell now. 

“I think Flinn is the Varulv that bit you”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two days to go and they have Varulv Steve on their hands. They're totally ready for this. Totally.


	28. The Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panic attacks and stupid plans.

Eli is woken up with Steve shaking his shoulder gently.

“Come on or your walking to school,” He says and Eli groans. His left hand was aching as he pushed himself out of bed.

It was bruised and hurt to turn into a fist but Eli just ignores it and bolts for a shower. Steve ducking back over to his own house and grabbing fresh clothing.

He texts his thoughts to the group chat.

“You sure. I mean I know his a douchebag but is he a Varulv douchebag” Toby replies.

Jim agreeing.

“I don't know. I just sear I saw his eyes change” Eli texts back, haphazardly half trying to pull on a fresh shirt as he goes. Shoving his glasses back into place and moving to shove his textbooks in his bag.

“You ready?” Steve calls up the stairs.

“Yeah” Eli calls back before running down the stairs. Steve catching him as he slips.

“What have I said about falling for me” Steve murmurs. Eli just rolls his eyes and straightens his bag.

The Trollhunters said they would meet them at school. They were true to their word and waiting outside. The sun already warming up the day.

“So we have a plan and you’re not gonna like it. Well I mean you might like it but either way” Toby says.

“Okay, So what’s the plan”

“You need to make Flinn angry. Angrier than his ever been to try and stir a reaction. Hopefully, a human one” Jim explains.

“Right. I can do that...how exactly would I do that” Steve asks, confusion on his face.

Claire clears her throat and points directly to Eli.

“You have something he wants. Even seeing you and Eli together pisses him off. So be like extra gooey and annoying and maybe be a little rougher with Flinn in practise.”

“Basically just be yourself and you should make him angry enough,” Jim says with a shrug. 

“Actually I have another idea. He thinks you’re still a bully right. I’m sure he’d love to rub it in your face if you throw me around a little” Eli murmurs.

Last night flooding back to him and he chews his lips at the thought of Steve pressed against him. Sharp teeth pressing against his throat. Those claws and that strength. The thought alone makes his eyes want to close.

“I wouldn’t want to hurt you,” Steve says softly.

“You wouldn’t. I trust you and I trust your wolf” Eli murmurs.

So they spend the first three periods discussing a way to do it, the plan falling into action after lunch. Where Steve feels comfortable and makes sure Eli stays safe. They’re both a little apprehensive but they have something that’ll definitely work.

“If I hurt you, or scare you tell me ok. I’ll stop right away” Steve murmurs.

“I promise” Eli replies as they wait for Flinn to get out of his English class. Summoned by ‘Mr Strickler’. Steve caging him against the locker. They had both gotten out of class easily enough. Eli too far ahead in class for the teacher to question it and Steve…well, Eli still had no idea how Steve got out of it. 

Eli phones dings then and he kisses Steve quickly as Steve sets his hands-on Eli’s wrists. Gentle but still all-encompassing as he pins Eli to the locker.

“Let’s hope you still remember how to act” Eli whispers with a wink.

They hear footsteps then and Steve’s face drops from that soft, easy going smile to a face he hasn’t seen in years. At least not aimed his way. Mouth set in a vicious sneer. eyes showing nothing but bitter cold and contempt.

“You still sure about this?” Steve whispers.

“Bring it on.” Eli murmurs. Trusting the boy before him with every single fibre of his being. 

“What the hell!” Eli shouts, putting power behind his voice. So Flinn can definitely hear him.

“Oh, come on. I don’t see the problem. Not like you’re a virgin” Steve snarks back, falling completely into that old bully character he used to be.

“Doesn’t mean I’m ready?” Eli says back. Making a show of trying to struggle out of Steve’s grasp.

Steve just presses him back harder into the locker. Not even having to put any effort by it. 

“Maybe I should get you drunk, you seemed keen on spreading your legs then” Steve sneers and Eli to remind himself this is an act. That Steve didn’t mean any of the words he said. 

“I-i thought you didn’t care about that. It was a long time ago.” Eli stammers out. Eli sees Flinn poke his head around the corner. Staring at them in shock, anger building on his face.

“Please. Don’t do this Steve” Eli stage whispers. Forcing his voice to crack. Not that it takes much. Steve’s hand letting go of Eli’s right wrist before dragging sparks down his side and over his hip.

“You think you’re getting a choice?” Steve snarls before making Eli squeak as his right butt cheek is smacked lightly. He forces himself to try and push Steve off him again even as everyone in his body was begging to pull Steve closer. Struggling to contain his laughter. 

That seems to finally snap something in Flinn and Eli winces when Steve’s shirt is grabbed and his thrown across the hallway. Slamming into the lockers and sliding to the ground. Actually unconscious. The few lockers he hit bent and broken. Popped open.

Eli tries desperately not to panic. Steve was gonna be fine. He had healing on his side.

“Eli are you ok?” Flinn asks turning to him and Eli feels fear course through his veins.

Golden eyes. The last of Flinn’s bruising fading away as his nose seems to crack back into place. He had somehow been stalling his healing process. Would that mean Steve would eventually be able to. 

His suspicions had been right. How foolish he’d been. At least it explained why Flinn wanted to get near him. So he could monitor Steve. He probably hadn’t even liked Eli at all. He had just been a tool.

“It’s you” Eli whimpers.

“What...oh no Eli I can explain. Just let me explain. I won’t hurt you. Not like him” Flinn murmurs before those gold eyes falter out like a light. His voice softer than chicken down. Trying to make himself smaller and more innocent.

“W-what are you?” Eli asks, pressing himself back against the lockers. Steve needs to really wake up. Soon.

“I’m cursed and so is Steve. You’re in danger with him around. I knew he was gonna hurt you but I didn’t think he’d tried to do that. Our emotions are normally all screwy around the Full-moon. I-I should have tried to get him away from you sooner”

“What are you on about. Why did your eyes change colour? Is this why Steve’s been acting different lately?” He asks voice warbling.

“Eli...We’re werewolves. You shouldn’t have had to figure it out like this. I’m so sorry.”

Maybe he can’t remember that Eli was there that night but Eli takes it to his advantage.

“You’re fucking crazy. Werewolves don’t exist. Steve was bitten by a stray dog” Eli snaps. Taking a silent breath of relief when he sees Steve shift and move in the corner of his eye. 

“Really Eli. I doubt you’re the one person in the school that would truly think that crazy. You have to have seen something else going on in this town. I haven’t forgotten how you used to ramble about monsters being real.” Flinn says.

“Is that why you wanted to try and get to me. So, you could keep an eye on him. How does that make you any better than what he did? At least he didn’t use me”

“No never, I’ve had my eyes on you a long time. I might even be in lov..” Flinn’s cut off as Steve slams him into the set lockers that he had just been occupying. Steve pressing his forearm against Flinn’s throat. A low growl rumbling from his chest.

“I wouldn’t finish that sentence. Now I have a single question for you. Why the hell was it me?” Steve snarls, claws making an appearance. Fangs probably making one too.

“It wasn’t supposed to be you,” Flinn says.

“Then wh...no. I would tread very lightly Hanson” Steve says and Eli must have missed something.

“You got in the way.” Flinn rasps, pulling as Steve’s arm but not seeming to get anywhere. Steve still stronger. 

“I don’t understand” Eli murmurs.

“He was trying to turn you. I just got in the way. Fucked up his plan” Steve says and the world falls from under Eli’s feet.

This had to be a cosmic joke right. Some god was just sitting there fucking with him.

“Why me?” He asks. Struggling not to spiral. Not to sink into a mental breakdown.

It had all been his fault. Steve was changing because of him. This was all his fault. Steve was gonna be a monster because of him. His fault. Those two words screaming at him. 

He didn’t even hear Flinn’s reasoning. Knees hitting the floor as he struggles to breathe. He hadn’t had an asthma attack in a long time but right now his chest was aching for air.

Eyes blurring over from tears as he struggles to try and breathe but nothing happens. The thought of this being his fault weighing down on his chest.

He feels hands on his shoulders. Hears a voice but it sounds like he's underwater. Claws pricking into the skin of his back and he focuses on it. Using it as an anchor.

“Is he ok?”

“Don’t touch him! It’s a panic attack. Get Lake and tell him to bring Eli’s inhaler.” Eli hears but he can’t decipher the words. It more like loud static. Just knows it’s Steve talking or maybe he was yelling. Eli had no actual idea. 

“Eli baby. You’re ok. You’re fine. I have you” Steve continues and Eli feels his head pressed against a broad chest. Steve chest rumbling as claws run through his hair before dulling back to normal.

His rocked gently and it helps even if he still feels like he can’t breathe. Eyes jammed closed as Steve continues to murmur softly. His brain won’t stop screaming that it’s his fault. The reason they’re in this mess. 

More commotion sounds and he hears voices, Jim and Claire’s. Things shuffle around him, Steve hand leaving his hair.

“Eli you need to open your mouth” Steve whispers, pressing something against his bottom lip. He follows Steve’s instruction and feels his lungs ease up when air is forced into them.

He gains enough of his body back and grabs the inhaler off Steve. He manages to get himself sorted from there. Managing to get his lungs back in working order as Steve continues just comfort him.

“You ok?” Steve asks who knows how long later and Eli shrugs. Finally blinking open his eyes to Steve still holding him. Jim and Claire looking at him with worry.

“Where’d Flinn go?” He asks, wiping his eyes as Steve pulls him to his feet. He feels a little wobbly and like he could take a solid nap but he seems fine enough.

“Don’t know, don’t care. But if I see him I’ll kill him” Steve says, not letting Eli go.

“Steve you should probably get to practise. We’ll take care of Eli” Claire murmurs.

“No, it’s fine...”

“You have your first game tomorrow; you need to go to practise. I’ll be fine. I promise” Eli murmurs cutting off Steve’s protest. Hand on Steve’s chest, heart beating against his palm. 

“You sure?” 

“Yes go. I’ll see you afterwards ok”

“Ok, take it easy. Call me if you need me” Steve says leaning forwards and kissing Eli softly. 

Eli nods. 

“You ok?” Jim asks once their alone. Eli being ushered towards class.

“Yeah, I’m good. We should probably get to class or we’re gonna be late” Eli says.

Miss Janeth looks at Eli in worry when he walks into English and he gives her a reassuring smile. Class passes rather quickly, Eli lost in a quiet haze. Half asleep from his panic attack. Miss Janeth just lets him go, doodling in his notebook. Two golden eyes looking at him, but their soft, caring. Steve’s eyes. 

Eli finally gets out of class and heads for the football field.

His distracted though by a fuming Coach storming past.

“If the boy can’t be bothered to show up. He may as well be kicked off the team”

“What’s wrong Coach?” Eli asks.

Coach Lawrence jumps and turns to Eli.

“Hanson didn’t show up to practise. But not the point. Are you ok? Steve said you had a panic attack and needed your inhaler” Coach asks. Pure concern on his face. Eli feels touched by the fact that Coach seems to really care.

“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks, Coach. Steve was a great help. Just tired now that’s all” Eli explains quickly holding his textbooks to his chest. 

“That’s good then. See you tomorrow at the game. Get some rest” Coach says before ruffling Eli’s hair and walking off.

Steve appears a few minutes later and he scoops Eli into a giant hug as soon as he sees him.

“How are you feeling?” Steve asks softly. Eli was starting to get irritated from everybody asking that. 

“Yeah, I’m good. Tired but good”

“Well, then I guess a nap is in order. I could use one too, to be honest. I think Coach was actually trying to kill us” Steve says wrapping an arm around Eli’s shoulders and leading him towards the car park.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun chapter...Eli finally had his breakdown. Steve to the rescue. 
> 
> Flinn just keeps pissing off everybody doesn't he.


	29. Apologies and Plan Bs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eli makes a plan

Eli wakes up soft and warm on the couch. He hears quiet voices in the hallway and that must have been what had woken him up. He must have been out of it though for Steve to move him off the bigger boys chest. 

They had come home and crashed almost instantly. Eli’s panic attack exhausting more then he cared to admit and he felt so safe and warm as he had pressed himself into Steve’s chest. Steve running his hand up and down the small of Eli’s back. Just talking about mindless things as Eli’s eyes drooped shut. 

“Hey, dude. I wanted to apologise for being a dick” A voice says and Eli places it aa Toby as he sits up and ruffles his hair. 

He can’t be bothered looking for his glasses, just peeking towards the hallway. 

“It’s whatever though I guess I should say sorry for trying to eat you,” Steve says and Eli can perfectly picture the sheepish, half shrug that Steve does. His hand probably rubbing through his hair. 

“Still. Uh about tomorrow considering I don’t think you’d want to be sticking around after the game due to the whole ...” Toby lets out a nervous cough. 

“The whole me turning into a man-eating monster. You can say it. It is what it is. What’s your point?” 

“I wanted to see if I could help with the scout thing. Since you’ll be a little preoccupied. Talk to them in your place. I know it’s not much but at least it’s one less thing to worry about” Toby says nervously. 

“You don’t have to make anything up to me Toby” 

“I know that. Look. The reason I was so angry at you is cause I was scared. For me, for Jim and Claire...for Eli. I was terrified that you’d hurt him and we’d be left to pick up the pieces. Patch him back together once you broke his heart and I realise how stupid I was to even think that” Toby says. 

Eli is surprised by the admission. How much Toby worried. 

“Have you told him? How much care for him?” Toby continues. 

“No, not yet. Just haven’t figured out a way to do it yet. You wouldn’t understand the lengths I’d go to though, to make him happy. I’d throw my off a cliff before I could even think about hurting him.” Steve murmurs, voice so soft and quiet that it’s almost a struggle to hear it. 

“Yeah, I get that now. I heard about today. Is he ok? Jim said Flinn gave him a panic attack. He also said that he’d never seen you more worried in your life. Like you were gonna have your own panic attack” 

“It felt like it but his fine. Still asleep. I wanted to do worse than murder him. I wanted to make Flinn feel twice the pain I felt when I saw Eli like that.” 

“Well, when you get your hands on the asshole. I dibs second hit” Toby says and Eli stifles a small laugh. 

“He’ll be up soon. You can hang around and wait if you want.” Steve murmurs. 

“Nah I’m good. Tell him I said hey and that we’ll see you guys tomorrow. We want to get together and go over the plan one more time” 

Steve says his goodbye and Eli lays back down, evening out his breathing. Not wanting Steve to realise he had eavesdropped, not that Steve would mind but still. He didn’t want to intrude on such a nice moment. 

He hears the door close and footsteps before Eli feels Steve gently push some hair from his face. Eli moved on instinct. 

“Hey, How you feeling?” Steve murmurs when Eli peels open his eye again. Seeing Steve’s blurry face looking down at him, Eli can sense more then see the adoring look on Steve’s face. 

“Yeah ok. Who was that?” Eli asks. 

“Just Toby. He actually came to apologise. Come on move over” Steve says pushing Eli to sit up. 

Steve sits down and pulls him back against his chest. Eli sighs as Steve still continues to run his fingers through Eli’s hair. Eli greatly enjoying the feel as Steve flicks on the Tv for background noise. 

“What else did he say?” Eli asks. 

“Nothing much. We just talked about today and they want to meet tomorrow morning to go over the plan again” 

Eli just nods, turning to look at the Tv. It was a new report about someone breaking into the local bakery and stealing from their deposit. 

“Think it was a Creeper?” 

“Nah. Or if it is. I really don’t feel like dealing with it right now. If it’s something the Trollhunters will have it covered” Eli murmurs. 

Sure that sounded a little selfish but he was having enough trouble dealing with the fact that he was the reason Steve was turning tomorrow. 

“I’m pretty sure they do. You never said what caused your panic attack today?” Steve asks. 

Eli shrugs. He didn’t really want to talk about it but he knows as much as Steve was forgiving on other things. This is something he wouldn’t let go of. Not if it meant he could find a way to make sure it didn’t happen again. 

“It should have been me. It’s my fault you’re like this” He finally says, voice quiet. To the point that if Steve was human he wouldn’t have heard it. 

“Yeah maybe but I wouldn’t take it any other way and it’s not your fault. It’s Flinn’s. This entire thing is Flinn’s fault and if I see the bastard I’ll gut him” Steve says moving his hand down to rest against Eli’s arm. 

“I’m sure you will. You ready for the game tomorrow?” Eli asks, looking for a topic that wasn’t about his stupid panic attack. 

“Yeah, I think so. Not much else I can do. Just gotta focus on not breaking the other players.” 

“Ehh I’m sure we’d all be fine if you broke Hallgrove a little bit and we should test that sometime. See how strong you really are” 

“Well, let’s just say that every time I touch you, I feel like if I twitch or stop thinking about what I’m doing. I’ll break you” Steve says, putting the tiniest bit of pressure on Eli’s arm but nowhere near enough to hurt. Eli could feel it though, the power. The strength. How much Steve was holding back?

The fact that Steve used to be able to break him easily. Now it would be just a joke. Eli would be the epitome of a toothpick. 

Steve finally has to go home. Lyn calling him and telling him in not so little words to get his butt home or there would be consequences. He asks Eli about three times whether he was gonna be ok and Eli rolls his eyes and practically shoves him out the door. 

His mum was getting home early tonight anyway and he just pours himself into homework until she does so. 

“Hey, where’s Steve?” She asks genuinely surprised. 

“His mum is trying to get more involved in his life. How was work?” He asks pulling himself off the floor. 

“It was good but don’t think I don’t know about your panic attack today. Principal Strickler called me. Told me about it. I would have come home sooner but I was in the middle of court.” 

“It’s fine. Jim and Claire helped, Steve, helped as well. I needed my inhaler but I’m fine now. Had a nap when we got home. Could still go for a three-year sleep” 

“Oh, honey” His mother murmurs coming over and dragging him into a hug. 

He melts into her as she just holds him. It was just what he needed even though he didn’t think he did. 

“Do you want me to take some time off?” She asks softly once she lets him go. 

“N-no. You’re fine I promise. I’m good. Just had a bad day” 

“Can I ask what caused it then?” She says sitting down on the couch and patting the seat beside her. 

So Eli sits and explains it as best as he can. 

“Well, I don’t want that boy hanging around you anymore. He seems like bad news. I don’t like him” Is what his mother finally says. 

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem anyways Mum. I don’t think he wants anything to do with me anyways” Eli says with a shrug. 

He didn’t feel any type of way about it. Not really. He’d be fine never seeing Flinn in his life again. 

“On a different topic. I found this in a drawer of the kitchen. What’s it for?” His Mother asks setting her briefcase on the table and opening it. 

She pulls out the Wolfsbane necklace and holds it up. 

“A present for Steve. I was gonna give it to him tomorrow” He says lying through his teeth. 

“Ahh well if you want to hide it from him, maybe don’t hide it in the kitchen. I’m sure he’ll love it” His mother says before holding it out to him giving him that “How cute” smile.

He takes it and looks down at it. Trying not to feel nauseous at the fact that such a small thing nearly killed Steve. 

His eyes widen as he looks down of it, a thought slamming into his head. 

“Can I borrow the car?” He asks suddenly, surprising his mother. Surprising himself.

“Uh sure. What for?” He couldn’t remember the last time he had actually driven but he’d be fine. 

“I just realised I left something at Jim’s that’s all. I won’t be long” He says standing as she holds out the keys to him. 

He takes them, grabbing his wallet on the way out the door. 

“Don’t crash it this time” His mother calls after him. 

“That wasn’t my fault” He yells back before closing the front door. 

He makes it to the canals in one piece and nearly falls down the side of the canal but manages to catch himself in his haste. 

Eli practically runs down to Blinky’s library. Hoping that the Trollhunters weren’t here. His wish comes true. Blinky sitting against a sleeping Aaarrrgghh and reading by low lamp light. 

“Ahh, Elijah? What can I help you with?” Blinky says quietly, standing and coming over to him. Setting his book on the table. 

“I need a way to get this close to Flinn. It’ll weaken him enough that we can do something” Eli murmurs holding up the Wolfsbane necklace. 

“Hmm I wouldn’t know how to go about that safely,” Blinky says grabbing it and looking it over. 

“I don’t think safe is really an option...” Another thought hits him. It’s something potentially stupid and dangerous but Eli doesn’t care as he turns to look up at Blinky. 

“I need a way to turn it into dust,” He says, not giving Blinky any room to question him. 

Blinky just nods curtly. 

“I’ll go and get Draal”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter but I didn't want to drag something on that didn't need to be. Specially considering Toby and Steve aren't big talkers.


	30. Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Game day and the full moon. What could go wrong?

After Eli did what he had to, Wolfsbane dealt with. He heads home and straight to bed after promising his mother that her car was fine. He was so tired and felt a little nauseous. He quells that feeling though and crawls into bed, setting his glasses on the bedside table.

He falls asleep almost instantly, his head barely even hitting the pillow. Only to feel like he was opening his eyes seconds later to Steve shaking his shoulder gently, calling his name. 

Eli grumbles at first pushing away Steve’s hand. Telling him to go away. It’s when he hears Steve’s voice crack and break does he know something is wrong. He opens his eyes and finds it surprisingly bright in his room from the nearly full moon. 

He sits up and realises that Steve has been crying once he shoves his glasses into place. 

“What’s wrong?” He asks pushing back his blankets, reaching out a hand for Steve. Who flinches back, looking terrified of something. Eyes rimmed with puffiness, red cheeks and nose. He looks like he's been crying for a while. 

“Ikilledyou” Steve mumbles, not even looking Eli in the eye. 

“What?” Eli asks, feeling like an idiot as he reaches once more for Steve. Trying to comfort the other boy. 

“I killed you” Steve says louder and Eli pauses for a fraction of a second before forcing himself forwards. Until him and Steve are knee to knee.

“It was just a nightmare,” He says softly, reaching out a hand for the third time. This time Steve doesn’t flinch from him. 

He grabs Steve’s hand and drags it to his heart. Pressing the larger hand against his chest.

“Feel this right here. This means I’m ok. That’s I’m alive.” Eli says. 

Doing for Steve what Steve had done for him not even days ago.

“It felt so real...” Steve says dragging Eli into a one-armed hug, his hand still against Eli’s chest. 

Eli cuts him off. 

“It wasn’t real. I’m here.” He says into Steve’s warm chest. 

“No Eli you don’t get it. I ripped your heart out.” 

Eli pulls back a little bit to get a look at Steve’s face. Panic starts to build in his chest. Steve eyes lighting up like the fourth of July. Gold eyes and fangs set into a vicious sneer.   
The same sneer he had worn earlier that day. 

Eli goes to pull back out of Steve grip but the prick of sharp claws against the small of his back stops him in his tracks. 

“Steve” He whispers. Trying to reach his boyfriend behind the wolf. 

“I ripped out your heart Eli” Steve’s repeats sneer deepening, primal looking as he moves forwards until his lips were against Eli’s ear. 

“And I loved every second of it.” 

Eli screams as the claws over his heart shove under his skin. 

He bolts upright in bed, looking around as he shakes. Scream still on his lips as he reaches up to touch his chest. Pulling his shirt up and out of the way. No claw marks, nothing to indicate that it had been nothing more than a nightmare. 

He hears a noise then and jumps. Only to realise that it’s Steve crawling through his window. Shirt pulled on backwards in his haste. 

“Are you ok? I heard your scream?” Steve asks softly, sliding the window closed. 

Eli shrugs. 

“It was just a nightmare. Sorry, I woke you” He murmurs feeling embarrassed. Even if the dream had felt so real. 

“You’re fine. Wasn’t asleep anyway. Wasn’t exactly looking forward to it. You sure you ok? Your pale as Claire” Steve says before pressing the back of his hand against Eli’s forehead. Sitting on the bed beside him. 

“Yeah, I’m ok. It’s probably from my panic attack today or something” He mumbles. 

“You smell weird,” Steve says grabbing his arm and pressing his nose to Eli’s pulse point. 

“Yeah, inhalers do that. You probably just could never smell it before” Eli says with another shrug. 

“Ok. Well, want to tell me about this nightmare?” Steve says gesturing for Eli to move over. 

Eli points out his shirt and so he just pulls it off before sliding into the bed beside the smaller boy. Laying down. follows and is dragged into Steve’s arms. He hadn’t realised how close.   
Reassuring compared to his dream. He gives a brief explanation. Steve doesn’t say anything just holds him closer. Eli can feel his heartbeat and it’s calming, sending him back to sleep. 

“Thank you” He mumbles softly. 

Steve just presses a small kiss to his head and this time Eli doesn’t even dream. 

He does wake up in the morning to an empty bed. Steve hadn’t been up long though, his side of the bed still warm. Eli pulls himself from the bed and stumbles a little before he reaches for his glasses. 

His first thought is food and that’s where he heads only to stop when he hears voices. Namely Steve and his Mothers. 

“I want you to keep my son safe” April says as Eli sits on the stairs. Straining to listen in. 

“Yeah of course. I always do. Why do you ask now?” Steve asks, voice on the quieter side. Both of them trying not to wake him up. Steve must not have heard him.

“Because I know a lot more than you two are willing to tell me” 

“How much?” Steve asks a tiny bit of panic entering his voice. 

“Enough to know you two are planning something dangerous tonight. Elijah is my everything and if something happens to him. That’ll break me. So please I’m begging you. Keep him safe” His mother says and Eli almost feels bad. 

How much stress has he put her under over these past two years? 

“I promise,” Steve says. 

Eli hears his mother sniffle before clearing her throat. 

“You should probably go and wake him up. Or his gonna sleep all day.” She says and Eli just decides to wait it out. 

He hears Steve before he sees him appear at the bottom of the stairs. Eli stands and walks down to him. 

“How are you feeling?” Steve asks softly. 

He nods. 

“Better. Did you get any sleep?” He asks taking in Steve’s tired eyes. 

“Yeah, a little. Come on, Mum’s making pancakes” He says before grabbing Eli’s hand and pulling him towards the kitchen. 

The smell hits him like a truck and his stomach grumbles. Steve laughs as Eli tries not to turn red. 

“Hey, sweetie. How’d you sleep, I would have come and checked on you but before I could I heard Steve and I knew he had it covered” She says turning to look at him as she flips a pancake. It sizzles when it hits the pan again. 

“Yeah ok after that.” 

They fall into idle talk after that. Talking about Steve’s game today. The more they talked about the more excited Steve seemed to get. Not eating much as usual but still taking down twice as much as what Eli eats. 

Then it’s time to head over to Jim’s and discuss the final details of their plan. So far all they had was the chains in Steve’s trunk and the clearing where they found the bunker. That was it. 

They don’t really get far, just going in circles. Barbra and Walter already having left for their weekend away. Instead, they come back to the fact of Plan Zs. Eli just zones out. Not wanting to hear it but not wanting to cause as a scene again either. He just leans into Steve’s side and plays on his phone. 

Steve occasionally being annoying and blocking his screen but Eli doesn’t get grumpy, knowing that he’d be antsy for about eight different reasons. 

“I think that’s everything. Steve, you should probably start getting ready for your game. We’ll all be there. If anything happens you know what to do” Jim says standing. 

Steve nods and him and Eli stand as well. On the way out Blinky catches Eli as Steve, Jim and Toby talk about the game and Hallgrove. 

“How are you feeling after...” Eli cuts him off not wanting Steve to catch on. Cause all hell would break loose otherwise. 

“I’m ok. I promise.” Eli says quickly. 

“If you say so but take it easy. Even being near the stuff can cause horrid side effects...as we’ve seen” Blinky says glancing towards Steve. 

“I’m fine,” Eli says, a little irritated as he walks off before Blinky can say anything else. 

They head home after that. Steve ducking home to get ready, grab his gear. Eli checks in with his mother and she makes a note of hugging him extra tight. The conversation he overheard earlier popping back into his head. So he lets her go. Hugging her back just as tight in return. 

Tonight was gonna go fine. Steve wasn’t gonna eat anybody. They were gonna find Flinn and stop him from doing whatever he planned to next. Nobody was gonna get hurt. Eli refused for anything like that to happen. 

“You’re warm, are you ok?” She asks pulling back. 

“Yeah, I’m good. Probably just still recovering from my panic attack yesterday” He says. 

“You want me to come with you to Steve’s game?” 

“Only if you want to but I know how much they bore you” 

She finally decides on staying home and just watching one of her romcoms. So Eli heads upstairs and gets ready. Not even bothering trying to tame his hair. Instead, he takes a second to run his hand through it, roughing it up a little more. Not so he looked a total mess but just so it was a little fluffier. 

He pulls on jeans and a throw-away top. Knowing if he was gonna be running around in the forest all night he didn’t need to get a decent one ruined. Then finally he slides on Steve’s Letterman jacket. 

He still feels nauseated and slightly tired but he just ignores it, grabbing his bag, shoving some of Steve’s spare clothing into it and heading for the kitchen. He throws in a few bottles of water and about a dozen food bars. Knowing that Steve was going to be starving as a man stranded in the desert after his change. 

Steve appears soon enough. Eli greeting him at the door as his mother says her goodbye from the lounge room. Love Actually playing in the background. Tissues on standby. 

“Cute,” He says simply when Eli opens the door and Eli chews the inside of his cheek as he struggles not to blush. 

“How are you feeling?” He asks instead. 

“Like somebody has jabbed me with a live wire.” 

Eli grabs his hand inspecting it but it’s a hundred percent human. 

“No changes yet?” 

“Nope. Completely human. For the most part.” Steve says with a shrug. 

Eli can feel the crackle in the air when they get to school. People huddled together and milling into the bleachers. Hallgrove’s coach glaring at Coach Lawrence across the field. 

“I’m gonna go and get changed. Go see how Lake and the others are doing?” Steve says before running off the for the change rooms. 

Before he can find Jim and Claire though, he runs into Steve mother front row. 

“You came,” He says surprised. 

“Yes, but I may need guidance. I am not really good with sports” She says, looking extremely out of place. 

“Yeah of course. I’ll be glad to help. Just let me find my friends and I’ll be back” He says flashing her a genuine smile. 

She nods and he sets off again. Just praying that it’s not a violent game like the last time they played against Hallgrove. He still remembers the limp that Steve had for a few weeks afterwards. 

He finds the Trollhunters rather quickly, thanks to Darcy and her mascot suit. He drags them down to the front bleachers talking as they go. For a moment about nothing but the game. Darcy slipping off to get on the field with a kiss to Toby’s cheek. 

“Hey, Ms Palchuk,” Jim says tentatively when they all sit down beside her. 

She gives him a nice smile. 

“You’re Barbara Lake’s son aren't you?” She asks him and Jim gets dragged into talking about how Lyn and Barbara used to go to Arcadia Oaks themselves. 

That was a trippy thought to say the least. That the pair had once shared algebra together. Had they ever noticed anything weird going on back then or was it just in recent years that the Trolls found themselves unable to hide. 

Eli is distracted though by the teams appearing on the field, Steve making his way over. Already sweating a little due to his clothing. That’s what Eli was banking on anyway. 

“Hey” Eli murmurs walking up to him. 

“Hey. Flinn’s here, I was kinda hoping he had skipped town” Steve says, running a hand through his hair. Making it fluff up as it shines in the sun. 

“Oh well. Just focus on the game. We’ll sort him out after. You know the signal right if you start feeling anything?” 

“Yeah. I got it covered but I’m good for the moment. You still look a little pale, you sure you’re gonna be ok?” Steve asks reaching out and pressing his hand against Eli’s cheek. 

“I’m good. I promise just worry about you” 

“Alright if you say...” Steve is cut off by someone in Hallgrove gear walking up to them. The Hallgrove quarterback if Eli remembers correctly. 

“Didn’t know you jumped the fence Palchuk” He heckles. 

“Doesn’t mean I still won’t be able to kick your ass, Peterson.” Steve bites back, pulling Eli close to his side. 

“I thought you would have been into bears off all things? Not little twinkies” The Peterson sneers, looking Eli up and down. A twinkle in his eye. 

Eli just struggles not to roll his out of this dimension as Steve looks like his considering gouging out the Peterson’s eyes. 

“Don’t try and rile up my boyfriend. It won’t work. If you want to throw him off his game, get better at playing. Might have a chance at winning then.” Eli snaps right on back. Smirking at Peterson as he   
waits for his jab to sink in. 

He only scoffs out a laugh in return, face slipping into a smile. 

“Ahh, that’s why. This one has a sense of humour. Well, in any case, I like him. You picked well...Hey, I’m Tim, one of Steve’s friends from Elementary” Peterson says sticking out a meaty hand. 

Eli takes it and nearly gets his arm ripped off as he mutters out his name in return. Tim only smiling wider. 

“Well he was a friend until he transferred to Hallgrove and shoved a silver spoon up his ass,” Steve says, small smile lining his face. Nothing malicious behind the snark. 

“Ehh, You go where the scholarships are. You picked out the scouts yet?” Tim asks, knocking his head to the bleachers. 

Steve shakes his head as Eli looks towards the bleachers. A wash of people’s faces blurring together. 

The game would be starting in a few and he points that out to Steve, detangling himself from his boyfriend. Before standing on his tiptoes and pressing a kiss to the Blond’s cheek. 

“It was nice meeting you” He throws out to Tim before turning and heading back for his spot. 

“Hey, Eyes off!” Steve grumbles as Tim lets out a laugh. Eli just shakes his head and resumes his spot beside Lyn. Jim and her still chatting away about her youth and the trouble her and Ms Lake used to get up to. 

It’s a few more minutes later and Eli tries not to feel sick when Flinn stares him down across the field. Eli hopefully imagining the gold flickering in his eyes. Especially from this far away. Flinn wouldn’t turn in the middle of the game. He couldn’t. That would give both him and Steve away and potentially all of Trollkind.

Flinn finally looks away when a whistle is blown, slipping his helmet into place. 

They watch as the two teams fall into position. Coach stepping up and yelling the rules at them. Lyn finally falls quiet in anticipation. Eli watching Steve roll his shoulders, helmet set into place. 

He feels that crackle grow larger as the crowd finds themselves excited. Murming and whispering. A few of his classmates placing bets with a few Hallgrove students. Darcy doing her mascot thing, tumbling and jumping around. Stealing Mary’s Pom Poms and doing a dance with them. Mary just watches on, arms crossed. 

Coach Lawrence’s whistle blows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor April. 
> 
> Such a big chapter but an interesting one to write.


	31. Game Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Buckle up, it's about to get bumpy.

Lyn jumps the first time Steve goes down in a tackle. Worry lining her face as Eli reassures her that Steve is ok. Steve’s more then ok. Springing to his feet and smiling so widely that Eli can see it through his helmet. 

Arcadia Oaks scores the first points, Eli explaining a few of the finer points to Lyn as they watch. Eli half watching for those watching a little too closely. Scouts. He thinks he spots one of them. An older man he had never seen before, watching raptly. Phone pressed to one ear. 

But before Eli can get a proper sense of the man his distracted by Flinn slamming Tim to the ground with way to much force. Everybody waits with baited breathe as Tim groans in pain. 

The entire crowd gasps and whispers. Lyn slamming a hand to her mouth and murmuring a prayer. Even Eli was wincing.

Both Coaches running over as a time out is called. Flinn finally pulling himself to his feet and Eli’s mouth falls open. 

Tim wasn’t playing the rest of the game. Wasn’t playing the rest of the season. There was no way with the odd angle his leg was at. 

“On the benches Hanson. Justin, get your butt out here!” Coach calls before Hallgrove’s Coach can start anything. Justin looks completely surprised before grabbing his helmet and nearly slipping over in   
his eagerness to get out onto the field. 

Steve is one of the people that helps Tim hop for the nearby bench. Pain lining every inch of his face as he tried to look brave. Hallgrove’s back up is called in and Steve returns to position as the medics aid Tim every way they can. 

Flinn looking like he wants to murder absolutely everybody as Cooper says something, only to go deathly quiet when Flinn snarls at him. 

The game resumes and Eli gets word that Tim has in fact broken his knee. Eli felt terrible for the fact that this was Tim’s chance as much as it was Steve’s to get a football scholarship and now that was gone. 

“That poor boy” Lyn murmurs. Eli just nods. 

The game gets a little more vicious after that. Those on Hallgrove after Arcadia Oaks for revenge. Steve just brushes off every tackle he receives. Bouncing back to his feet and before they know it, it’s half-time. Every one on the teams taking a breather and shaking off the vicious hits they had all just taken. 

Tim is gone much to his complaining about wanting to stay and watch the game and Mary and her Cheerleaders do their thing as Eli heads over to Steve. 

“You ok? You got hit pretty hard back there” 

“Yeah, hundred percent great. Starting to feel a little on edge. Was Tim ok?” Steve asks. 

Eli explains quickly and Steve breathes in through his teeth. 

“Remind me tomorrow after...everything to check on him. He’s gonna be so fucking pissed. If you think I’m serious about this, Tim devoted his entire life to it” 

Eli just nods and groans when Steve gives him a sweaty hug before returning to Coach’s side to discuss game tactics. 

“How’s he going?” Jim asks. 

“As good as he can. He knows the signal if anything goes wrong.” He says. Praying that it wouldn’t have to be used.

Half time is over quickly and they make it through the third quarter with no incident. Arcadia Oaks pulling ahead as Steve struggles to hold back and not run rings around everybody. 

Eli starts to watch him twitch and get jumpier as time goes on and his half hovering on his seat. Ready to make a run for Steve if he needs to try and calm him down. 

Steve takes a tackle again and Eli feels something off when Steve doesn’t bounce back to his feet. His movements sluggish, like he's trying to hold back. Coach calls a three minute time out but before Eli can even move, Flinn is. 

Heading straight for Steve and grabbing his arm. Steve’s head snaps around and Eli knows his snarling from the way his teeth are bared. 

Eli creeps down towards them as Flinn pulls Steve out of the way.

“Alright, that’s enough. Calm your shit Palchuk and hold it together. You have 25 minutes left and if you blow it. I’ll gut you in front of everyone!” Flinn snarls eyes flashing as Steve pulls off his helmet. 

Baring fangs as his eyes burn gold. 

So Eli steps in and Steve’s attention snaps to him. Considerably calming by that alone. Flinn had just been pissing him off more. Steve didn't do well with people yelling at him normally. Let alone, someone he detested. 

“Listen to what he says. You can do this. Just have to hold it together, take a few deep breathes” Eli says grabbing his hand. Hiding the claws from sight as he rubs his thumbs gently across the back of Steve’s hand. 

Steve huffs out a breath before forcing himself to nod. Groaning low as he forces himself back to a human state. Looking pained doing so. How much effort was he using not to wolf out. To hold back. 

“You gonna be fine doing this?” Eli asks softly. Not wanting Steve to push himself to hard trying to live up to a dream that might be impossible at the moment.   
Steve thinks about it for a second before nodding again. 

“Deep breathes and don’t get tackled anymore,” Eli says before pulling Steve down for a quick kiss. 

When he pulls back Flinn is gone, sitting back on the bench. Looking like he just ate a lemon

“What happened?” Jim asks. 

“Just had to calm Steve down before he broke the other Quarterbacks leg, that’s all,” Eli says with a small shrug. It was nothing he wasn’t used to. It just happened to be a bit more important to stop Steve before he tried to eat somebody these days. 

Eli is tense as a brick for the last part of the game. Watching Steve closely, looking for any sign of Steve snapping. 

The Trollhunters are just as on edge. Lyn completely oblivious to it, having finally gotten into the spirit and was cheering Steve on. It was adorable and Eli makes sure to snap a photo of her yelling at the top of her lungs. A giant grin on her face. 

Finally, the last goal is scored and this time is not the opposing team that tackles Steve but his own. Cheering as Eli cheers along. Lyn doing something super surprising and hugging him so tightly he has trouble breathing. 

Hallgrove groans, their Coach throwing his whistle across the field as he spits curses. Steve finally breaks away from his team and comes over to Eli. Pulling off his helmet and lifting Eli into the air. Both of them grinning like idiots as Eli kisses Steve with everything he has. Not caring that his beast is sweaty just that they showed Hallgrove who was better. 

Eli yelps when something catches his bottom lip, He pulls back and realises that it was one of Steve’s fangs. 

“I think it’s time” Eli murmurs as Steve sets him back down on the ground, nodding. He looks around and can't see Flinn anywhere. He must have run off in the choas. 

“What’s time?” Lyn asks. 

“Nothing Mum don’t worry about it. Just after party stuff. I’ll see you tomorrow ok. Thank you for coming” Steve says sincerely. The slightest lisp coming into play as he doesn’t look up at her. Giving her a quick hug before grabbing Eli’s hand and pulling him along. 

“Find Flinn. We’ll meet you there” Eli calls to the Trollhunters, snagging his bag before Steve pulls him for the locker rooms. 

Steve slams into the locker rooms. Gold eyes sweeping the room as he makes sure nobody else is around. 

“You sure we can make it there,” Eli asks. 

“Yeah. I just need to get out of this” Steve says before pulling off his jersey and shoulder pads. 

It takes a few minutes but Steve has finally gotten himself into normal clothing again. Slamming his locker closed with to much force. Buckling it a little bit. 

He comes back to Eli’s side and reaches out a hand. They make their way through the crowd quickly. Steve ducking from conversations with a quick “Yeah, see you at the after party” 

They make it out to the back fence and Eli doesn’t get much say as his lifted into Steve’s arms. He jams his eyes closed, only opening them once Steve is on the other side and setting him back on his feet recapturing his hand. 

Eli has to use his phone’s torch to see where he's going. The sun already slipping behind the horizon and casting an orange glow that barely leaks in through the canopy. Steve’s eyes haven’t returned to their normal colour and he twitches are every little sound. 

Eli’s on edge as well. He’d rather not run into anything else nasty out here. Specially in the dark or with Steve being like this. 

Only a few minutes into walking, Steve groans stopping in his tracks. Free hand clutching to his head, claws making a reappearance. 

“You’re ok. Come on just a little further” Eli says, pulling on Steve's hand. 

Steve forces himself to start walking again. 

“Where does it hurt?” Eli asks, praying to whatever god was out there that they hadn’t waited too long. That they should have skipped the football game altogether. 

“Everywhere. It’s like my bones are trying to rip themselves apart” He grits out through his teeth. 

They make it halfway there, Eli rambling about every single thing he can think of. Trying to distract Steve from the pain. The blond stumbling once or twice. Grunting from the aches and pains. 

“Nearly there. We can make it. The Trollhunters will be waiting for us. Come on” Eli says moving Steve’s hand from his own to around his shoulders. 

Sure he might not be able to stop Steve from hitting the ground if his boyfriend goes down but he can help him out a little bit. Keep him walking.

Eli urges him on further. Dragging him along as Steve starts to slow down. Struggling to move. 

“Eli you need to go. I’m changing...” 

“Shut up!” He snaps before Steve can spiral and he pulls him further towards the bunker clearing. They were nearly there. 

Before Eli can get them any further though, he steps out into nothing and Steve hits the ground at the same time. Crying out in pain. 

After everything Eli had forgotten about the embankment they had to climb down the first time. He lets out a sharp yell as they both fall down the small hill. His ankle twisting as he tries to catch himself. He hears Steve yell his name as he rolls down the hill, unable to stop his own decent until his head connects with a tree.

His knocked unconscious, the world going black as he hears Steve let out a pure pain filled scream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small chapter and I tried to add a bit of detail to the game but I know absolutely zero about football. (Shocker, I know). Also whose excited for Wolf Boi Palchuk. Cause I sure am.


	32. The Change

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FLUFFY BOI.

Eli feels like the side of his head is on fire and his cheek is sticky. He can smell blood as he groans in pain. He reaches up a hand and hisses through his teeth when he touches a gash on the side of his head. 

He stills when he hears a harsh breath and something that sounds like sniffing. Right over his face. Eli gulps and peels open his eye. Even with his glasses missing, he can’t miss the glow of Steve’s eyes. Like two lanterns. 

Eli takes shallow breathes as Steve cold, wet nose touches his cheek. Still sniffing. He sniffs up Eli cheek before bumping his nose against Eli’s wound. Eli lets out an involuntary yelp and panics when Steve pauses in his motion. 

This is it. His Varulv boyfriend is gonna eat him and there’s nothing he can do about it. He really should have remembered that embankment. How long had he been out? What did Steve have to go through? 

Before Eli can even try and do anything, a large wet tongue licks close to the gash on his head. He tries not to be disgusted as some of his hair is stuck to the side of his head. 

He can feel his heart trying to burst out of his chest. Sure, he trusted Steve not to eat him normally but not so much right now. 

Eli needs to move though, there’s a rock digging into his back and it aches. All of him aches actually. He moves his arms under himself slowly and Steve pulls back. Watching him so closely that Eli can see the interest in his eyes even without his glasses on. 

“Don’t eat me” Eli mutters softly pushing himself up until his sitting. He reaches behind him and finds that it wasn’t quite a rock. But rather his glasses.

His motions are incremental, watching Steve in return to make sure he doesn’t go to rip out Eli’s throat as Eli moves to push his glasses onto his face. 

A clearer version of Steve comes into view and Eli’s nightmare from weeks ago come back to the forefront of his mind. Steve tearing apart the quarterback. 

Eli is surprised. He has expected something monstrous. Terrifying. Instead, he got something…fluffy. Sure the fangs peeking from Steve’s upper lip would probably be able to tear him to pieces but Steve was almost adorable. He even had a fluffy tail. 

Soft ears peaking from his head, elongated snout and blond fur. Eli almost wants to reach out and pat him but he also doesn’t want to risk his fingers. 

Eli hears footsteps then and voices. 

“They’re this way,” Claire says, the rest of the forest so quiet that even Eli could hear her. Eli turns his head to see the faintest purple glowing through the trees above the embankment. Still a ways away. 

“Let’s just hope we’re not too late,” Jim replies. 

A low growl feels the air and on instinct, Eli reaches out a hand trying to soothe Steve. Only to realise his horrible mistake when his fingers sink into the soft fur of Steve’s forehead. 

He struggles not to panic as he turns to see Steve looking at him. Eli can’t tell if he's ready to snap or not. Can’t tell anything not like with Steve’s human form. Eli knew every twitch of Steve’s human face and what it meant. This was an entirely new, incredibly steep learning curve.

“Sorry” He squeaks out and goes to move his hand back only to feel his when Steve juts his head back into Eli’s hand. 

He curls his fingers gently and slowly scratches across Steve’s head. Steve’s eyes slide closed and he presses his head harder into Eli’s hand. 

Eli lets out a giant breathe, knowing at least in the next few seconds he wasn’t gonna die. That’s also when he starts taking account of everything that hurts. Mainly his head, he can already feel the giant migraine coming on. He must have hit his left ankle on something as well because that kills and feels swollen. 

The glow gets closer and Steve opens his eyes, pulling his head back. Eli drops his hand quickly. Not wanting to test the primal patience. 

His mouth falls open when he watches Steve push himself to his feet. Towering over him by a near solid two feet. Eli moving to stand as well, still staring at his boyfriend in all his wolfiness. Pain stabbing through his ankle and nearly sending him back to the ground but he holds it together..

His brain struggling to comprehend the sheer changes that Steve had gone through and yet just the way he stood. It was still Steve. Lazy yet still on edge. 

“You’re still my Steve aren’t you” He whispers, a small smile bleeding onto his face as Steve leans down and in a gesture completely Steve. Completely human. Presses his forehead to Eli’s. Whining low in the back of his throat. 

Of course Eli still didn’t a hundred perfect trust Steve right now. He trusted him enough to know that they were both gonna be ok. 

It was taking absolutely every single fibre of Eli’s being not to prod and poke at Steve when he straightens again. Not inspect every square inch. The pain in his leg also restraining him. 

Jim and Claire appear at the top of the embankment then. Her staff lighting up the entire area and making Steve squint a little.

“Eli oh than...” Jim starts only to be cut off by a loud growl. His eyes snap to Steve, sword appearing in his hand. 

“Back away slowly” Jim calls down to him. 

Eli looks up to Steve. His glaring up at Jim, teeth bared. Hands curled, sharp claws reflecting in the moonlight. 

“Uh, I don’t think that’s a smart idea,” Eli calls back. One; his not sure he currently has the dexterity to even climb up the embankment, especially with his bruised ankle. Two; as much as Steve is currently in a form that could and would eat him for breakfast, he doesn’t want to leave him alone. Not when he had already missed Steve’s first change.

At this point, he has the feeling that if Steve had wanted to eat him, murder him, rip out his throat. Whichever. The wolf would have already done it while he was unconscious. 

More movement happens and Eli turns to see Blinky and Aaarrrgghh appearing from the underbrush. Toby on Aaarrgghh’s back. 

“There you are. Jeez, his bigger than I thought he’d be” Toby says. 

“Master Elijah, please step away. As much as we can trust Steve, we cannot trust this newer form” Blinky calls. 

Before Eli can say anything, a heavy clawed hand lands on his shoulder. He glances up at Steve. 

He's not sure how but his certain, that Steve looks scared. 

“I’m not going anywhere” He murmurs mainly for Steve and the wolf’s eyes relax. 

“I don’t think that’s advisable Elijah,” Blinky says. 

“I’m fine. If he wanted to eat me, he would have already done so.” Eli calls back. 

Eli pulls Steve’s hand off his shoulder and instead just holds it as best as he can. If Steve’s hand used to engulf his, now Eli’s hand disappeared completely into it. He almost felt like he was five again as Steve draws him close. Even in wolf form trying to protect him. 

Steve’s ears were flicking this way and that as he tries to keep his eyes on all the Trollhunters. Waiting for them to make a move. Fangs still bared.

Eli in a second of curiosity pokes one of Steve’s claws. Yelping when it jabs his skin and draws a drop of blood. 

Steve looks down at him and in that second. Eli is a hundred percent sure that the Varulv standing before him is at least 80 percent actual Steve. The look of “You’re a moron” clear on his face. It made Eli feel safer than he had felt all month. 

It also made a pit form in his stomach when he realises that Flinn had been in control. He had hunted them with purpose, not just some sort of animal instinct. As much as every part of Eli didn’t want to believe Flinn, everything he said was true. This was Eli’s fault they were here. 

Before Eli can dwell on those dark thoughts though there’s more rustling in the brush. Steve’s attention snapping to it, ears flattening against his head as he bares his teeth wider. Growling low and Eli can feel the vibrations.

Aaarrrgghh and Blinky turn and look themselves. A subtle glowing blue appearing beside Eli. Jim and Claire also on edge. Waiting. Completely forgetting about trying to get Eli away from Steve in the process. 

It’s a blur and Eli knows that something only moved when Aaarrrgghh gets shoved into the ground. Hard. Blinky and Toby going flying. Both landing with a pained grunt. A cloud of fallen leaves puffing up into the air. 

Eli gets to see what it is a few seconds later as it comes to a stop in front of them. Rearing to its full height. 

Flinn. 

His fur was as dark as his hair and Eli feels the panic creep up his throat. Clutching tighter to Steve’s hand. 

A month ago comes back to him in full force. Steve’s cry of pain. The blood. The fear that Eli had felt. The pure panic. The look that had been in Flinn’s eyes. Not a single human thing about it. Pure, calculating evil. 

Eli can feel another panic attack nearing. 

Toby and Blinky pick themselves up off the ground, Toby’s warhammer lighting up as Aaarrrgghh tenses. His runes glowing green as his eyes turn black. Letting out a warning snarl.

Eli almost expects Flinn to talk. To give some evil monologue but that’s impossible cause of his changed vocal cords. Of which Eli is grateful, because if Flinn did start talking then Eli knew his brain would break and he wasn’t going anywhere but a padded cell. 

He feels Steve’s nose bump against his head softly and Eli tries to cling desperately to Steve’s hand when he moves away from Him. Towards Flinn. Towards the stupid asshole that started all of this. 

Why couldn’t he just leave them alone? Hadn’t he done enough damage? What would he even get out of this? Revenge for the fact that he missed biting Eli the first time. That didn’t seem worth it. 

He grabs onto Steve’s hand with both of his own. Knowing he’d have no choice but to let go if Steve used even a quarter of his strength. 

“No. Don’t. Please” Eli whispers as Steve looks at him. 

Flinn was going to kill him. As much as Steve was bigger, stronger. Flinn had who knows how many years of experience. Steve’s strength would run out before Flinn’s agility did. 

“Please” Eli pleads again. Not caring if he sounds desperate because he was. 

Steve was his everything and if he lost him. Then he wouldn’t be able to live with himself. 

Steve bends himself nearly in half and drags Eli into a rough hug. Pressing his nose against Eli’s neck and breathing in. Trying to reassure him but it does nothing but make him feel worse. It feels more like Steve is saying good bye then reassuring Eli that he’d come back. That he’d win,

Eli feels his eyes burning and he hates that they ended up in this position. Hates Flinn with his entire being in that very moment. 

Steve’s chest rumbles softly before he pulls himself back to his full height. Eli finally lets his hand go and he watches that soft side of Steve melt away as he turn and glares at Flinn. 

Flinn bares his teeth and he seems snide. Nose crinkling as he looks at Steve with utter disgust on his face. 

Eli is grabbed and pulled back by Jim. 

“It’s gonna be ok. He's gonna be fine” Jim murmurs. 

“Aaarrrgghh can’t you do anything?” Eli asks. 

The large troll just shakes his head sadly.

“Not my fight.” 

Eli wanted to call bull and force the big troll to help but he won’t. He understands. Aaarrrgghh would be too slow with his hulking frame. He would just end up hurt as well and Eli wouldn’t dare put Blinky in the same situation. Not when his heart literally hurt and Steve hadn’t even left his side yet. 

Eli can’t watch as Steve and Flinn square off. Steve still taller and bigger in his wolf form. Claws clicking against one another as his hand's clench. Two forms of snarls fill the air and Eli has chills up the back of his spine. Steve’s tail dragging across the floor and brushing leaves aside, 

He wasn’t the only one. The Trollhunters all looked ready to jump in and take Flinn on themselves even if it would be a suicide mission. Blinky and Aaarrrgghh both have worry lining their faces. Aaarrrgghh looking ready to go against his own words. 

It happens so fast that Eli doesn’t know what happens until after it's done. Steve tackles Flinn and they go rolling through the underbrush. Disappearing from sight. The sound of snarling and yelping filling the air. 

Eli on instinct goes to run after the fighting pair. Jim’s hand on his arm stopping him. 

“Don’t get in the way” He orders before a horned helmet appears over his face and he runs after them. 

Claire running after him.

Aaarrrgghh makes to grab for Eli but his forcing himself forwards. Ankle screaming at him as he steps in the direction they went. Nearly hitting the ground. Toby comes up beside him and Eli was ready to put up a fight if he tried to stop him. Eli wouldn’t let anybody stop him from trying to find some way to help. Instead, Toby drags one of Eli’s arms around his shoulders and helps him. 

“You’re as stubborn as your boyfriend. I see why you two love each other” Toby grumbles pulling him forwards. Eli feeling like crying and screaming in pain every time he puts pressure on his bad foot. 

Eli looks at Toby shocked. He hadn’t even thought about that with everything else going on. 

“Oh come on. I mean the idiot turned into a Varulv for you. Of course, he loves you.” Toby points out like it was obvious. 

“I just guess I never had time to think about whether he did or not” Eli stammers out. 

They follow the sound of fighting and growling. Finding Steve and Flinn in the small, bunker clearing. Jim up in a tree, watching waiting for a moment to help as Claire mutters a spell under her breath.

Her hands were out to the side, feet inches off the ground and she was glowing purple. Eyes blank and pitch black. Eli really wasn’t up with dealing with demonic possession right about now. 

“What’s is she doing?” He asks. Hoping that it wasn’t anything that he had to deal with right now. 

“A boundary spell. They won’t be able to leave the clearing. She’s been working on it for a while to try and keep Steve contained but it takes a lot out of her. It won’t last long so Steve needs to make this quick” Toby explains, adjusting his grip on Eli. 

Eli just nods and finally sets his eyes on the blur of fur and fangs. He only knows who is who by their fur colour. Steve’s already coated in a thin layer of red. Eli hopes to god that it was Flinn’s. 

Steve manages to get Flinn in his grasp before throwing him, far further then seems possible before Flinn slams into something invisible. It crackles with purple energy for a second before dissipating back to clear. 

Claire grunts and starts muttering the spell louder. Her glow getting more intense until even looking at her was blinding. 

Flinn picks himself up quickly and goes for Steve. Catching his teeth around Steve's bicep. Landing a few hits in between. The noise that comes from his boyfriend almost hurts Eli physically. His heart clenching in fear as Steve lets out a roar of pain. 

He grabs Flinn by the snout and rips him off. Blood dripping down his arm as he throws Flinn to the ground. Eli flinches when Steve just stomps on Flinn’s chest. Eli is sure he hears a bone break but his distracted by Aaarrrgghh and Blinky appearing. 

In that time, Flinn must have done something because Steve has a brutal gash on his cheek and their rolling around in the dirt. It was hard to tell what happening, just that they deal pain for pain, blow for blow. This wasn’t going to last much longer. 

It hurts to watch. Eli feeling sick every time Flinn lands a hit or a bite. Steve starting to slow down and there was nothing any of them could do without getting themselves hurt in the process. 

“Claire, you need to stop!” He hears Jim yell, a loud thud and the clanking of metal as he hits the floor. Running for her, his helmet fading out of existence, 

Eli turns from watching Flinn sink his claws into Steve’s side. Tearing him open from his ribs to his hip. Steve howling in pain. Eli feeling his stomach roll as Toby looks away. 

Claire had black cracks along her skin and she was coughing. Barely hovering. Purple flickering in and out. A look of pure darkness in her eyes. 

“Claire please stop. It’s killing you” Jim cries, grabbing her hand before recoiling at the power coursing through her veins. Like his been burned even through his armour. 

Aaarrrgghh reaches out and grabs her out of the air. That seems to knock her out of whatever state she’s in. She collapses in the big trolls’ arms and Jim looks panicked. Brushing her hair from her face. The barrier fading out of existence with a popping noise. 

“She overdid it again but she’ll be fine. She’ll just need to sleep” Blinky says softly, checking her pulse. 

That relaxes Jim a little and once Eli is sure that Claire isn’t going to die on them. He turns back to make sure that Steve is ok. 

His slowed down a lot. Sluggish and struggling to block Flinn’s hits. Eli’s assumption had been right. Flinn had outdone him by experience. 

Steve was struggling to stand let alone fight. His side torn apart, claws and hands covered in blood. His own and Flinn’s. Eli feels tears streaming down his face, 

Steve manages to knock Flinn to the ground with a small, tired huff. Bloody fangs glinting in the light. Flinn is quicker though and sinks his teeth into Steve’s leg. The roar that comes from Steve this time is pain filled and sounds torturous to Eli’s ears. Flinn tearing a chunk from Steve’s leg and incapacitating him. 

Steve hits the ground with a giant thud, whining as he struggles to get himself back to his feet. Flinn stands in a blur and slams his foot down on Steve’s back forcing him back to the ground. Snarling low as he applies more pressure and Eli feels his heart break as Steve lets out hellish scream of pain, the sound of bones breaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare to cry.  
> 

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to Daniel Kraus & Guillermo del Toro.  
> Non-beta'd


End file.
